Life After Death and Decepticons
by Eloeehez
Summary: TFA: They've returned to Cybertron heroes, but of course, life goes on.  What do a bunch of unintended heroes do now?  How do they cope with sudden popularity?  New opportunities and challenges are presented, along with some of the old. Optimus-centric
1. Returns

So, new fic. If the title didn't make it clear, this is post-endgame. And yes, the title is a bit wacky. It's what happens when it gets late and I need to title something. For the sake of this fic I will try to exclusively use Animated time units which are the following:

nanoklik = less than 1 second; cycle = 1.5 minutes; megacycle = 2.6 hours; solar cycle = 1 day; decacycle = 10 days; orbital cycle = 1 month; stellar cycle = 1 year

_Note:_ information indicates there are 100 cycles in a megacycle, and 10 megacycles in a solar cycle.

And of course, standard disclaimers apply. Flames be used to roast parrot on my pirate ship, yarr!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Returns**

**.  
**

Optimus let his attention wander from the scene in front of him as he, as inconspicuously as possible, leaned against the wall behind him. He stood with Jazz and Sentinel at the side of the medical room while Ratchet and several other medics worked on Ultra Magnus under Sari's direction. It had taken a considerable amount of persuasion and demonstration to get the medics, Elite Guard, and 'acting Magnus' to let her in, but eventually they had managed. If they were lucky, Ultra Magnus would online once they had completed repairs. Optimus only hoped he could last that long. While Ratchet had performed repairs before their return, his supplies had been limited, and most of the repairs were only temporary, their concern being focused on delivering Megatron to Cybertron as soon as possible. Now though, Optimus found himself wishing that Ratchet could have been allowed more time to complete repairs correctly. His energy reserves were running low, his joints ached, and transformation was impossible because most of the necessary cogs were broken.

A low groan sounded from the medical berth and Optimus' attention immediately snapped back to the current situation. Every bot in the room stilled, waiting and watching. Slowly Ultra Magnus' optics came online and traveled over the bots in the room, finally landing on Sari, who stood next to his head.

"It would seem that I have missed a great deal." Ultra Magnus spoke, his voice quiet.

"You've missed a lot, indeed, sir." Ratchet informed him, "but not as much time has passed as you may think, at least not as much if you're basing that assessment on Sari's appearance. She was, after all, upgraded by the AllSpark while we were out of contact with you."

"I see." Ultra Magnus intoned, looking contemplative, before turning his head towards where Optimus and the others stood. "Jazz, I would like a full report once the medics are satisfied with my condition."

"But Ultra Magnus, sir!" Sentinel interrupted, "as your second-in-command I should be allowed to bring you up to date!" There was a slight pause before he stated 'up to date,' and everyone in the room could derive the offhanded insult in that.

"As my second-in-command, you have undoubtedly been appointed temporary Magnus in my absence." Ultra Magnus spoke strongly, optics narrowing slightly. "As such, you do not have the time since you must keep things running smoothly until my return."

"Yes, sir." Sentinel ground out, at least recognizing the comment as the dismissal it was. He left the room, leveling a lethal glare at Optimus as he went. It was then that one of the medics moved up to the berth where Ultra Magnus lay.

"Ultra Magnus, sir, I am pleased to report that repairs have been successful." The medic announced. "Your self-repair will still require a solar cycle or two to re-align your systems properly, and you require rest. Likely you will be back to one hundred percent in a decacycle."

"Thank you." Ultra Magnus gave a slight nod, and the medics quickly exited the room. After the door closed, Ultra Magnus pinned his gaze on Optimus. "Optimus Prime." It was a statement, summons, and question all in one. Optimus took a few steps closer, before pausing and adjusting his grip on the hammer he'd all but forgotten he carried.

"Sir." He started hesitantly, before lowering the hammer to hold it horizontally in both hands. "I believe this is yours. I apologize I was unable to ask your permission before I used it."

"We wouldn't have been able to defeat Megatron without it." Ratchet spoke up again. "And I goaded him into it, Sir."

"Enough." Ultra Magnus intervened before it could become a contest of who could accept the blame. "Apologies are not necessary. I understand. In times of war, circumstances dictate action." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Optimus Prime. Since my subspace storage is currently inaccessible I leave the Magnus Hammer in your care." All coherent thought fled Optimus' processors at that. An academy washout being charged with the safekeeping of the Magnus Hammer. He could hear that Ultra Magnus was still speaking, but words were lost on him until Ratchet took his arm. Blinking he looked at the medic.

"Come on, Prime. Let's get you fixed up properly now." Ratchet's tone was almost soothing as he steered Optimus out the doors and down the hall of the Central Infirmary. "The Infirmary director's given us a room and all the spare parts I'll need to get you good as new." A short time later Optimus realized he was being prodded onto a berth. "Get some recharge. I'll be back in a megacycle or two." Optimus shifted fully onto the berth before realizing that he no longer held the Magnus Hammer. He panicked for a few nanokliks until Ratchet patted the Hammer that leaned against the wall.

"Thanks Ratchet." Optimus said with a tired smile. Hardly a nanoklik later he had fallen into recharge.

* * *

Optimus pulled out of recharge to warnings blaring in his processor. Without thinking he rolled off the berth just in time to avoid the weapon aimed at his prone form. The shriek of rending metal was painfully loud as the berth crushed. Frantic attempts to comm. his teammates were only met with static. Slowly Optimus' optics cleared to focus on the figure pulling the Magnus Hammer out of the twisted metal.

"Sentinel?" Optimus could hardly believe what he was seeing. "Drop the Magnus Hammer. It's not yours."

"It should be. And it will be." Sentinel spoke with a dangerous gleam in his optics. "Once you and Ultra Magnus are assassinated by an unknown Decepticon agent, it will be mine, as it rightfully should."

"What are you talking about, Sentinel? What Decepticon?" Optimus asked, quietly trying to assess his situation. He'd been in recharge a little over a megacycle. Ratchet might be returning soon, but that wasn't guaranteed, and Sentinel stood between Optimus and the door. With his energy reserves now just barely over fifty percent, he could conceivably fight his way to the door, but the chances he would make it out with enough energy to escape after were low. For now, all he could do was keep Sentinel talking and distracted.

"Oh, there is no Decepticon. But no one will think to contradict me when I become Magnus and claim there was." Sentinel informed him coldly.

"Why are you doing this?" Optimus felt dread starting to seep into his circuits. Even if he escaped he couldn't contact his team for backup, and he certainly couldn't defend Ultra Magnus properly.

"They're trying to reinstate you!" Sentinel shrieked. "That means they are reviewing that….incident! And that green block head had to mention that techno-organic Decepticon FREAK! If they bring the whole thing up again my career could be destroyed and I'll never take my rightful place as Magnus. I can't let them destroy me so I have to destroy you, old buddy."

"It was my career that was destroyed then, Sentinel, so what makes you think yours is in any danger now." Optimus carefully edged his servos towards his subspace. His axe may not be useful against the Magnus Hammer, but at the very least he could use it to distract Sentinel and get the Magnus Hammer out of his servos. Or that was the plan at least.

"Because I overheard Ultra Magnus talking about it." Sentinel was waving his arms wildly now, optics wide, venting hard. "He said that this time he intends to find out whose idea it was to go, and to review the reports in detail." Sentinel suddenly pointed the Magnus Hammer at Optimus. "The only way he'll find out it was my idea is if you tell him, so I can't let you tell him. Even if you took responsibility then, I just can't stake my future as Magnus on you. Sorry old…" Optimus didn't let him finish. In one swift motion he flung his axe at Sentinel's head while lunging for him.

As he had predicted, Sentinel moved the Hammer to intercept the axe, leaving his lower body unprotected. Optimus slammed into Sentinel's waist plating, sending them both crashing to the floor, and in the ensuing tangle of limbs, Optimus grabbed at the Hammer. One servo caught it firmly while the other became trapped underneath them. Sentinel's fist slammed into the side of his helm, rolling them enough that Optimus untrapped his servo and returned the blow. After that it became more of a tug-of-war-with-punches-flying than a fight. Only when Optimus got a ped between them did Sentinel's grip slip enough for Optimus to take control of the Magnus Hammer. As he rolled up on one knee critical energy warnings began flashing across his vision.

"That's it!" Sentinel roared, his lance charging as he thrust it for Optimus' spark. A sizzling clang sounded as familiar nun chucks knocked it off course enough that it merely sliced through his outer armor. Jazz followed them, kicking Sentinel back, before dropping into a defensive pose in front of Optimus.

"Bad move, Sentinel." Jazz spoke up. "Surrender now."

"No! This is my time! Mine!" Sentinel lunged at Jazz as Optimus' vision began to fade. He was only distantly aware of the sounds of battle, quickly followed by the sound of a mech fleeing. Shouts from voices he didn't recognize resounded through the halls. Then Jazz's visored face entered his failing vision.

"Easy OP. Just stay with me, dig?" Jazz's voice held worry. "Ratchet's incoming. He'll fix you up right."

Optimus weakly shook his head, vocalizer spitting static. At the current rate his energy reserves were dropping Ratchet wouldn't make it in time, and he wasn't sure about the Central Infirmary medics. The fact that there weren't any here now made him work to speak even as Jazz tried to shush him. "Energy…critical." He saw the understanding flash in Jazz's visored optics, and watched him turn to what he assumed to be the doorway.

"We need an emergency energon infusion!" Jazz didn't shout, but the tone he used came close, gently shifting Optimus so he was laying on his backplates. Optimus felt the Magnus Hammer move in his grip and tightened his servos. "I'm not going to take it Optimus. Ultra Magnus left it in your care." Slowly Optimus released it, and Jazz carefully propped it back up against the wall.

Maybe a cycle later he felt fingers prying a panel off his side, followed by a stinging sensation as an energon line was breached. Optimus could feel the energon flowing into his lines, energy surging back through his systems. His vision cleared, though the warnings continued, and Optimus was able to see the other mech in the room. He too was Elite Guard, though not familiar. His orange coloring stood out in stark contrast to the silver walls. Before Optimus could ask who he was, a scream echoed through the medical facility. Even as he moved to sit up, Jazz and the other mech were pushing him back down.

"Ultra Magnus!" Optimus managed to not scream it, but just barely. "He was going after Ultra Magnus."

"It's cool." Jazz assured him. "Ultra Magnus has several guards in his room. We thought the Decepticons might try something. Weren't figuring on Sentinel though."

Before Optimus could even fully process the comment, Ratchet came through the door grumbling about attacks happening in medical facilities. He wisely kept his mouthplates shut as Ratchet scanned him.

"New damage is only minor. Broke quite a few of those temporary repairs, and energy levels are just above critical." Rachet stepped back even before he finished talking, turning to Jazz. "Glad you showed up."

"Glad I was here too." Jazz spoke quietly.

"Medic Ratchet?" Came a new voice from the doorway. They turned to see a medic there with a gurney. "There is an empty room two doors down for your immediate use."

"Right." Rachet acknowledged, then indicated the gurney. "All of you, help me get him on here." Optimus was carefully lifted onto the gurney and wheeled a short distance down the hall and into a nearly identical room. Once they were inside, the unknown Elite Guard saluted Jazz and left. "Alright, time to get to work." Ratchet drew Optimus' attention just as he aimed the EMP generator. "When you wake up, you'll be back in good working order."

With a flash, darkness descended on Optimus Prime.

* * *

So, yay! One long chapter. Unfortunately, it's also largely un-edited and un-beta'd, so if there are goofy errors, I'd like to hear about them.

Reviews are also nice.


	2. Revelations and the New Normal

Wow, quite the response to the first chapter. Thank you to Wolf Prime and Anodythe for the reviews, and everyone else for adding this story to your alerts. Anyways, this chapter actually came out a bit longer than I'd anticipated. o.O

Once again, pardon any goofy errors (should they appear) as it's not been beta'd, but it has been slightly edited.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Revelations and the New Normal**

.**  
**

Optimus onlined slowly to a well lit room and silence. For a moment he lay there, waiting for his memory core to finish rebooting and allow him to recall recent events. When his last memories blasted his processor he sat up abruptly. "Ultra Magnus!" Fear lanced through him. Jazz told him there were guards around him, but guards could be beaten.

"Woah. Easy there, sir." A thickly accented voice spoke from his right. Turning he spotted the orange Elite Guard who had assisted him then. "Ultra Magnus is unharmed." The orange mech then reached up, activating his comm.. "Ironhide to Ratchet. Optimus Prime is awake." A pause. "No, he just came out of stasis." Another pause. "Understood." Then Ironhide lowered his arm.

"Ironhide?" Optimus questioned, wanting both to ask a question and see if he had caught the mech's name properly.

"Yes sir?" Ironhide answered, telling Optimus that he had gotten the name right.

"Not to sound rude, but why are you here?" Optimus asked, a bit nervous. Even with everything Sentinel had said and done, Optimus was well aware of his penchant for bending the truth to serve his own purposes.

"Protection detail, sir." Ironhide responded. "Ultra Magnus' orders." Optimus couldn't help but be a bit surprised, and apparently it showed, because Ironhide continued, "Defeating Megatron's made you a high value target, sir."

Optimus quietly admitted to himself, he really hadn't brought that much consideration to the subject. Going from a Space Bridge Repair Technician to hero would definitely change things up. Belatedly it dawned on him that, at least for the foreseeable future, anywhere he went he would be recognized, given the media coverage of their return. Inwardly he grimaced, not entirely comfortable with the thought, but he knew that Bumblebee, at least, would enjoy it immensely.

As he sat there considering, Optimus became aware of his own state of being. No longer was he in pain, but the stiffness of his joints and lack of immediate tenderness of the welds from this latest repair told him at least several solar cycles had passed since they were completed. Optimus started systems diagnostics as he turned to Ironhide, his internal chronometer unable to accurately account for the time

"Ironhide, how long have I been here?" He asked, even as he wondered, _how long has Ultra Magnus had guards around me?_

"Seven solar cycles." It was Ratchet who answered before the door had even completed opening. "Which you needed."

"Prowl's memorial?" Dread and guilt assaulted Optimus as he considered the possibility he'd missed the event.

"Is in three megacycles, so lay back and let me run some scans." Ratchet grumped, making his way to the side of the berth. Optimus tried to lay quietly, even as sorrow, guilt, and even a bit of relief assaulted him.

Being stuck here, he wasn't with his team. His friends, his family, those who he should have been with to comfort, stand strong with. Organizing a memorial was no simple task, and he hadn't been there to help with it.

"Don't get your CPU in a knot. The young bots handled it just fine." Ratchet informed him as if reading his processors. "Bee's enjoying being a hero. Bulkhead's been talking with other Space Bridge Technicians and loving the fact that, for once, their first impression of him isn't that he's got scrap for a processor. Sari's been dividing her time between them, getting introduced to Cybertron."

"What about you, Arcee, and Omega Supreme?" Optimus asked, some of his guilt easing.

"Arcee's been catching up on history in the Iacon Central Library. She's thinking about re-entering the teaching field, and is using her old skills to teach Omega Supreme. He's finally discovering choices." Ratchet told him, his focus divided between what he was saying and the now open panels of Optimus' chest, poking gently at the new components there. "I've been here repairing your sorry chassis." Although the last part was snapped in a rather caustic manner, Optimus knew better. As much as he grumbled, groused, and snapped, there was no where he'd rather be when one of them was damaged. "Your energy reserves are still low, but the repairs are fully set. And I expect them to stay that way!"

"Understood." Optimus acknowledged, smirking as he closed his chest plates.

"Right. Why don't I think that'll matter." Ratchet sighed, rolling his eyes. "Come on. I know a place that's got the best energon in these parts."

Optimus slid off the berth with a small smile. "Lead the way, Ratchet." Ratchet huffed, but turned and started out, Optimus close behind. As he stepped out he noticed, not only Ironhide following close behind him, but another mech standing to the left of the door. That mech promptly fell into step beside him as they proceeded down the corridor. "I'm surprised the Elite Guard could spare two mechs for a protection assignment."

"News of Megatron's capture scrambled the Decepticons." The new mech spoke up. "They're hiding or charging in with half a processor and getting caught."

"And our team's outta action till Rodimus Prime recovers." Ironhide added.

"And this is your best option to keep from sitting around." Optimus concluded, not quite as annoyed as he once might have been. He understood too well the need to do something, anything instead of sitting around without purpose.

"I didn't mean…" Ironhide began, clearly thinking Optimus had taken insult from that.

"It's alright. I understand." Optimus cut him off.

"Not alright." Ratchet interjected, glancing back at them. "But understood."

"Ratchet." Optimus chastised, optics narrowed.

"It's the truth." Ratchet focused back ahead of them. "Don't try to deny it." Optmus pressed his lip plates together and said nothing. Ratchet was right, and he didn't quite feel like he could match wits with him just yet. Instead, Optimus turned his attention, inconspicuously, to the mech beside him.

He was a small and grumpy looking bot with dark yellow and green armor, not very threatening to look at, but he'd obviously earned his Elite Guard standing so he was obviously more dangerous than what met the optics. Optimus had to wonder what he could do. Bumblebee was often underestimated because of his size, but that size was his advantage. Perhaps this mech was similar.

"I didn't catch your name." He said, turning his head to look directly at the small mech.

"Brawn." Came the gruff reply. Optimus didn't have much time to ponder the source of his name as they exited the Central Infirmary and out onto the streets of Cybertron. As of yet, they didn't seem to be drawing much attention from the bots passing by.

"It'll be faster to drive there." Ratchet told them, transforming as soon as the words left his vocalizer. They followed his example and were soon driving past familiar buildings.

Optimus found it nostalgic in so many ways. On one servo it seemed like millions of solar cycles since he'd been here, yet it also felt like just megacycles had passed instead. Nothing seemed to have changed while he was away though. The familiarity of it all soothing the nervousness he hadn't noticed building. Abruptly, his reminiscing was cut off as Ratchet pulled to a stop. The energon diner they'd stopped at was well-kept but casual. Quite a few bots sat around tables visible through the front windows, but not so many, Optimus hoped, that they'd be immediately recognized or mobbed. Then again, he wasn't certain why he was so nervous about being in the spotlight.

Ratchet led them immediately to an out of the way table near the back. A few curious glances followed them, but Optimus tried to avoid optic contact as much as possible. Carefully, he sat in the chair that put his back to the rest of the patrons and the windows. The roll of Ratchet's optics wasn't lost on him, but he ignored it. Ironhide and Brawn quickly sat to either side of him, Ratchet taking the remaining spot facing Optimus.

Once they settled in, the menu screens lit and declared readiness for ordering. Alone, Optimus would have ordered sweets of some sort, but he'd gotten an audio full from Ratchet about them before, so instead of tempting fate, he picked out his favorite energon. A few cycles later a pretty green and lavender femme brought out their energon. As she set his cube in front of him, Optimus looked up and gave her a nod of thanks. Immediately her optics widened and her free servo pressed to her lip plates to stifle a gasp. Inwardly Optimus groaned.

Choosing to disregard the turn of events, Optimus casually sipped at his energon, chancing a look around. Other bots were beginning to stare at their table, and he noted recognition in a few of the optics he caught. Soon whispers reached his audios, too quiet to interpret, but the tone telling him all he needed to know. It swept around the diner quickly, excitement mounting to an almost tangible quality.

"You didn't really think you could avoid it, did you?" Ratchet half asked, half teased quietly.

"I was hoping to avoid a scene at least." Optimus replied dryly.

"Good luck with that." Ratchet shot back, taking another drink of his energon. Optimus just sighed and followed suit. Already he was feeling a bit more energized, so he quickly finished what remained of his cube. Before he'd even put the empty cube down, Ratchet was pushing a second cube towards him. "Medics orders."

Another cycle he might have argued, but the first cube felt too nice rushing through his systems for Optimus to really consider arguing. Taking a curious mouthful, he found himself pleasantly surprised. It wasn't a blend he'd tried before and it was quite pleasant. Quality energon was mixed with copper filings and a smooth blended oil.

"This is really good." He commented.

Ratchet chuckled. "I thought you'd like that one." Ratchet's face then took on a more somber note. "You know they're going to ask you to speak at Prowl's memorial."

"I know that, Ratchet." Optimus answered quietly. "Although I haven't thought of anything to say."

"You will." Ratchet assured. "Don't try to think about it too much. You'll just overheat your processors."

Before Optimus could come up with any comeback, Ironhide's comm. beeped. "Yes sir?" Ironhide answered, listening for a moment. "Yes sir." He deactivated his comm. and addressed them. "Ultra Magnus wants to meet with you before the memorial."

"Right." Optimus acknowledged, a bit disappointed he couldn't savor the last of the energon. Pulling out some credits, Optimus laid them on the table and they quickly made their way out to the streets again, transforming and heading for Autobot Command. Optimus couldn't help but worry, his processors putting forth numerous scenarios as to why Ultra Magnus would want his presence now. He might have considered dawdling a bit if Ironhide weren't leading with Brawn bringing up the rear.

All too soon they arrived, being quickly waved through the gates. The walk to the Magnus' office was relatively new to Optimus as he never had been called there in the past, but in his academy cycles he'd been through the building multiple times. The doors to the Magnus' office were imposing, designed so bots of almost any size, except Omega Supreme's, could enter comfortably. Ironhide keyed the chime as they all stopped and transformed.

The outer and inner doors slid aside at the same time to reveal Ultra Magnus seated at his desk. Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Sari standing near the wall on the right, while Jazz stood slightly behind the desk to the left. _This is almost like a tribunal._ Optimus thought. The secretarybot in the outer office had apparently been expecting them and barely spared a glance in their direction.

"Optimus Prime, Medic Ratchet, welcome." Ultra Magnus greeted, calling them in subtly. Together Optimus and Ratchet entered the inner office, the doors closing behind them, Ironhide and Brawn remaining in the outer office. "I have been briefed on the events that occurred after I was attacked. I must commend you on your heroic actions that saved both Earth and Cybertron." He then turned his attention to the bots by the wall. "Autobots Bumblebee and Bulkhead, you have earned yourselves a place in the Elite Guard." Bumblebee and Bulkhead exchanged glances so gleeful it seemed they might actually break down and high five. "Bulkhead, given your expertise, you will be assigned to a science team for the repair and rebuilding of the space bridges damaged by Decepticon attacks. Bumblebee, you will be given an assignment of your choosing."

"Sir?" Bumblebee spoke up, "I already know where I want to be. On the space bridge team with Bulkhead. Space bridges are still a target, and the Decepticons have gone after Bulkhead before because of his genius. They'll need some back-up. Um, if it's alright with you, sir."

"Your request is approved." Ultra Magnus didn't hesitate, "and your observation is sound. Space bridge teams will need more protection now than ever." Then his attention shifted to the smallest figure there. "Sari Sumdac. I wish to welcome you to Cybertron. Should you choose to stay here or simply visit from time to time, you will be given a place to stay here in Iacon."

"Really? Uh, sir. Thank you!" Sari practically shrieked.

Ultra Magnus offered her a small smile and continued. "Medic Ratchet, your service both in this time of conflict and in the Great Wars has earned you the right to choose what you wish to make of your future. And know that you are welcome in the Elite Guard should you so choose."

"Thank you, sir, but I'd like some time to consider all the options." Ratchet answered.

"Understood." Ultra Magnus nodded, and then pinned his gaze on Optimus. "Optimus Prime. The council has voted to give you a chance to reverse the ruling passed against you stellar cycles ago. You will answer my questions truthfully and without evasion." It wasn't really a choice so much as a command. Give the full and honest answers or lose any chance to clear the expulsion.

"Yes sir." Optimus affirmed, straightening slightly.

"Whose idea was it to visit the organic planet?" Ultra Magnus asked.

"Sentinel's sir." Optimus answered quietly, not entirely meeting his optics. Even after so long it was hard to speak badly about his former friend.

"You were well aware that organic planets were forbidden. Why did you agree to go?"

"I…" Optimus grit his denta and lowered his gaze to the desk. Actually admitting this was going to be harder on him than he'd ever thought. "I didn't know…he didn't…it wasn't the planet. Sentinel…only told me about the Decepticon war ship he thought he'd found."

"So Sentinel lied to you." It wasn't a question, but Ultra Magnus obviously expected a response.

"He didn't give me all of the facts, sir."

Thankfully Ultra Magnus shifted his attention to other facts then. "New reports indicate that Elita-One did not offline at that time. Is this correct? She survived the explosion of the Decepticon ship?"

"Yes sir." Optimus answered, shifting his shoulders in an attempt to release some of the building tension. "According to her own account, she became infected with the organic…spider venom. She became a techno-organic and renamed herself Blackarachnia when she joined the Decepticons."

There was almost a full cycle of silence, in which Optimus didn't dare make optic contact with anyone. Everything was now laid bare to his closest friends and colleagues. Finally, Ultra Magnus spoke.

"Your account matches with evidence recently recovered." He declared, causing Optimus to look up. "It would seem that you took responsibility for an incident that you were not fully at fault for, nor were the results what we once assumed accurate. The records of this incident will be corrected, and your expulsion erased."

"Thank you, sir." Optimus was both excited and slightly confused. "But what evidence was recovered?"

"Original security video footage from the ship you took to the organic planet." Ultra Magnus told him. Now he was even more confused and a bit upset.

"Original?" He asked, trying to figure out what could have happened. Elite Guard security forces were not known for editing any evidence for any reason.

"Looks like Sentinel overwrote the recordings so you wouldn't look like the unwilling participant." Jazz spoke up. Optimus was stunned. Sure, he'd known Sentinel blamed him, but he hadn't realized he'd gone so far to make him the one faulted.

"Optimus Prime." Ultra Magnus' voice cut through the room with an authority that made everyone snap back to attention. "You are hereby inducted into the Elite Guard. The position of Second in Command is open, and you have proven yourself capable of filling it. Will you accept the position now offered to you?"

"But…what about Jazz?" Optimus asked, not sure he wanted to be promoted over every other Elite Guard who had right to claim the position.

"It's cool OP." Jazz assured him. "I'm diggin' where I'm at. And you've got what it takes."

"I…" Optimus paused, vented, and straightened up, looking Ultra Magnus directly in the optics. "I accept, sir."

"Congratulations, Optimus Prime." Ultra Magnus offered him a small smile. "And welcome to the Elite Guard."

"Sir?" Optimus spoke up, giving voice to a question that had been floating at the back of his processor. "What will happen to Sentinel now?" An uneasy tension filled the room. Ultra Magnus looked to Ratchet, and Optimus noticed every bot in the room was now avoiding his optics.

"I thought it had best come from you, sir." Ratchet answered whatever passed between them, unspoken.

"It is unclear if Sentinel was in his right processor when the Elite Guard caught up with him." Ultra Magnus spoke quietly, optics meeting Optimus'.

_Did he injure or offline somebot?_ Optimus wondered. _Did he become unstable? Is he in a sanitarium?_

"When he realized he was cornered, he lanced himself through the spark." Ultra Magnus' voice was heavy with disappointment and sorrow.

_Sentinel self-terminated? _Shock rolled through Optimus' circuits, reflected in every line of his chassis. His processors just couldn't tag the information to his knowledge of the bot.

* * *

Bwahahahhaa...I mean...oops?

And I know, OP as Second isn't really original, but after all, it was pretty much set up that way in Endgame. As for Brawn, well, I'll be guessing at his personality if/when I use him again.

And reviews are lovely. :D


	3. Talks and Understanding

It's...another chapter! This one is super short though, which is why it's posted so soon.

Thanks again to my reviewers, Wolf Prime, Optimus'girl, and CherryBlossom713!

.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Talks and Understanding**

.**  
**

Optimus heard Ultra Magnus dismissing the others, but it didn't really register until a servo came to rest on his shoulder. Snapping back to the present, he met Ultra Magnus' optics.

"It's hard to let go of a friend, even when they've betrayed you." Ultra Magnus spoke with the weight of experience in his words, and Optimus could only nod mutely. His processors still weren't over the shock of such a revelation. Slowly Ultra Magnus removed his servo and stepped back. "There are a few things we need to discuss."

"Yes sir." Optimus acknowledged quietly.

"Optimus, if any bot has earned the right to call me Ultra, it is you," Ultra told him, "the hero who saved all of Cybertron."

"But you said it's not in my programming to be a hero!" Optimus blurted out, unable to censor himself. Before he could apologize, Ultra cut him off.

"It's _not_ in your programming to be a _hero_, but a leader." Optimus' hopes were shattered and rebuilt in a nanoklik. "All leaders have the opportunity to be heroes, but not all heroes can be leaders." Ultra studied him for a moment. "I told you I felt you were meant for greatness, and I hoped that by telling you that you would stop seeking to be just a hero, and look for something more. Perhaps I was too vague."

"I didn't understand. I'm sorry." Optimus apologized, replaying those conversations. Maybe if he'd considered them as a whole, instead of focusing on single sentences he might have seen the hidden meanings.

"Once again, you are not at fault, Optimus. I regret that I could not tell you directly then, but as Magnus I cannot allow myself to show favoritism towards any cadet." Ultra made sense, and he was slightly glad. He'd had a difficult enough time in the Academy without being accused of being a suck-up to the Magnus. "Now, there are some things you need to be aware of. First, the shattering of the AllSpark was not made common knowledge. Second, as a hero and Autobot Second in Command, when you speak, bots will listen."

"Are you asking me to lie again?" Optimus asked, optics narrowing.

"No. Nor was that my intention on Earth. You must understand, Optimus, I was trying to do what I thought best for Cybertron. At the time, I felt the negative effects of such an admission would demoralize the Autobots and empower the Decepticons beyond what could be handled. I believed the information needed to be guarded. I apologize for not having more faith in you then." Ultra vented, moving to sit in his chair again. "One of the most difficult duties as a leader, are decisions that may harm a few in the hopes of protecting many." Ultra shifted, pushing away his sadness. "What I am saying, Optimus, is that you have the opportunity to present the truth in your own way. I am not asking you to lie or change it, but asking you to realize that your words hold new meaning in the optics of all Cybertronians. One simple word can change how any statement is received."

Optimus realized what Ultra was saying now. How mentioning the destruction and rebuilding of the AllSpark could reflect positively or negatively, not only on himself, but also Prowl. Worry and anxiety began to gnaw at his processor. Obviously he'd need to put a lot more consideration into what he would be saying at the memorial.

"If you would like, I can assist you in drafting a statement for Prowl's memorial. I know you haven't had the time to do so yet." Ultra offered.

Optimus managed a small smile. "I would appreciate it, sir."

* * *

So many bots had wanted to pay tribute to Prowl, that the memorial ended up being held at the Iacon Center Stadium, and every seat was filled. Prowl's shell had been laid beneath the address platform, ultimately making the whole affair just that much harder on Optimus. Even now, as bots slowly filed past, paying their respects to a hero, Optimus could barely keep his emotions from spiraling out of control. For some reason, it hurt him to think that they would only ever think of him as the hero who saved Cybertron, not the ninja-bot he really was. His true essence would be lost to the stories of glory, with only a few to remember him.

"It ain't easy to put to rest a fallen hero you knew personally." Ratchet spoke up suddenly from where he stood to Optimus' right. "Believe me, Prime, I know what you're feeling. Went through the same thing when they honored Omega Supreme after the Great Wars. Although, there wasn't a memorial for him. I didn't think I could bring him back, and that hurt, but what hurt more was hearing other bots speak of him. They never knew him, and even if they did, they just let the heroic image overwhelm the memory of who he really was. All I could do was remember him for the bot he was."

"Have they changed their views of him, now that he's back online?" Optimus asked slowly.

"No, and I don't expect they will." Optimus regarded him for a moment, disappointed and disheartened. "You have to realize something, Optimus. All heroes, online or in the Well of AllSparks, will be viewed through the image they've been given. We're all in that shuttle now. Every bot will know _about_ us, maybe even think they know us, but only a few actually will."

He considered what Ratchet said as he continued to watch bots file slowly by. The truth in the statements was not lost on him. Looking to the right, beyond Ratchet, he let his gaze rest on the team, the family, standing there. Bumblebee was trying to look strong, but the amount of concentration he was putting into not looking at Prowl told everybot that he was just barely holding his emotions in check. Bulkhead was simply staring at the ground, sadness etched plainly across his faceplates, while Sari openly cried. Optimus' spark went out to her. She'd already cried for megacycles before their return to Cybertron, and it seemed she would continue to cry for cycles yet. Jazz's face was downcast, his lip plates a thin line, but Optimus couldn't tell what he was truly thinking. The only bot to his left was Ultra Magnus, who stood tall and still, his gaze focused on the crowds below. Of all the bots there, Ultra was the only one who hadn't gotten much of a chance to truly get to know Prowl, but he remained standing with them to honor Prowl.

_A hero is not something Prowl ever aspired to be, yet now he is. A great hero to be revered alongside those commemorated in the Great Wars._ Optimus thought to himself. _And he gave back to Cybertron what I failed to protect._ He hadn't mentioned the shattering of the AllSpark directly, only a passing reference when he shared how Prowl gave his spark to pull it back together and stop the clones. Ultra's talk helped him realize that Prowl's memorial was not the place for the airing of that incident.

Nearly a megacycle later, the last bots filed out. Prowl's shell would now be transported to the Memorial Garden. Transforming, they gathered around the trailer onto which Prowls' shell lay, encased. Optimus connected to the trailer and moved out, surrounded by the others, a quiet but unhindered procession.

The Memorial Garden was a beautiful place, filled with the most amazing sculptures and reflection crystals. A wide path, inlaid with every gem and metal imaginable wound through the garden to the very center, where an enormous circle had been carved into the ground. When they reached the center, several attendants came forward and lifted the case with Prowl's shell, laying it in the center of the depression. Once they exited, the whole circle began to glow, the ancient machine superheating his shell and the case in which it lay. Ever so slowly, it began to disintegrate.

Optimus shuttered his optics. It wasn't enough. The last part of Prowl's physical presence was almost gone, and he couldn't help but think that Prowl deserved so much more than what little honors they had been able to bestow upon him. Pain flooded his spark. There was nothing left of Prowl but memories. Another friend lost, another wound to the spark that would likely never truly heal.

* * *

_So, yeah, there's no actual speeches or any of that because I just couldn't get them to come out right._

_Review! :D  
_


	4. Sorrow Dawns the New Day

Aaaaand another chapter! Thanks to all my reviewers. I'll answer questions/comments at the end of the chapter. :)

Now, on with the show!

* * *

**Chapter 4: Sorrow Dawns the New Day**

.**  
**

Silence echoed in Optimus' audios as he lay on his berth, recharge eluding him, much as it had for the past megacycle. He'd returned to his apartment after an evening in an energon bar with the team. Although they had stayed there well into what counted as the Cybertronian night, none of them had actually drunk more than one cube of high grade. Instead, they used that time to talk, catching up on each others lives since their return. Ironhide and Brawn hadn't been with them, Optimus having convinced Ultra Magnus that he was safe enough with his friends; and that his housing complex wasn't known for troublemakers, so when they'd finally parted ways, Optimus was alone for the first time.

Even with his optics unshuttered, memories continued to roll past his vision, bringing with them bittersweet happiness and fresh sorrow. Unlike the rest of his team, he grieved for the loss of two friends, though few others seemed to understand his sadness over Sentinel's loss. Ultimately, Optimus gave up attempting to recharge and left his room. Although, the small sitting area of his apartment offered no greater solace. His desk, covered in datapads, a reminder of a different time, left as it had been when Sentinel came to him, dragging him on a mission to find a lost Decepticon ship. Turning away, Optimus left his apartment, unsure of where he would go, but unable to stay.

Wandering aimlessly through the still crowded streets of Iacon, he found himself in front of the Tower Center, a multi-level shopping spire, topped by a laid back energon club. Even at this late megacycle it would be filled, bots celebrating the memory of a hero. Optimus rode the elevator upwards in silence, the other bots too overcharged by that point to really notice, much less recognize him. The doormech on the other hand, completely sober, recognized him immediately and waved him in. The barmech, though not as sober, also recognized him immediately.

"Optimus Prime, sir! A pleasure to see you in our fine club." His enthusiasm obviously the result of high grade. "What can I get for you?"

Now that he was here, Optimus really had no idea what to do. He hadn't planned on drinking any more high grade, but since he was already standing here it would be awkward to decline. "Do you have a club special?"

"Sure do! One Trychian Afterburner coming up!" The name itself was disconcerting, and as Optimus watched the barmech work, be became more and more afraid of what he'd gotten himself into. It seemed that no additive was left out. Gem powders, metal filings, oils, and even acid went into the high grade before it was handed over to him. "Enjoy."

"Thank you." Optimus offered politely before daring a small mouthful. Immediately he understood why it was named an 'afterburner.' It hit his tanks and abruptly blasted through his lines, feeling as though it were truly on fire. The barmech and a few patrons laughed, the intensity varying in their overcharged states.

"It's always like that the first time." The barmech assured him. "Once you've come to expect it, it's quite delectable." Optimus could only offer him a weak smile and a nod before turning away to find someplace with fewer optics on him. The balcony area caught his eye. A few bots sat scattered at the tables, but sculptures separated them and offered privacy. Stepping out the glass doors, Optimus followed the line of the balcony to the left until he encountered the end railing. No bots other than him had ventured down this far, and all of the sculptures made it quite the secluded alcove.

Leaning against the wall of the building, Optimus ventured another mouthful of his energon. The sensations weren't as strong this time around. As he let his attention wander, he began to notice the sounds of conversation mingling with the tread of bots below. The sounds ebbed and flowed, a peak of laughter, a hush, a group passing on the ground below. Iacon's lights flashed and blinked at him, stretching into the distance and back. Optimus began to wonder just how strong his drink was when the lights began to ripple with the flow of conversation.

"Sir?" A quiet, concerned voice piped up from somewhere on his right. Blinking abruptly, Optimus realized that it was lighter, signaling the start of a new solar cycle. Glancing at the cube in his servo, he was surprised to note it was empty. He'd lost track of the cycles out here, systems indicating he'd even fallen into a brief recharge while standing here. Looking to the side, he took note of the pale blue and gold femme. "The club is about to close." She gently took the cube from him, before stepping away.

"Thank you." He told her quietly before following her off the balcony and making his way out of the now empty club. Checking his chronometer, Optimus realized he still had time before his first official shift. Deciding it was as good a cycle as any, he headed for the command center, his first stop the New Recruit Office. Stepping through the doors, he was greeted by an orange and red femme.

"Welcome to the New Recruit Office of the Cybertron Elite Guard!" She seemed quite cheerful, her gaze sweeping him from headfins to peds, then back up again. "What's your name?"

"Um, Optimus Prime." Optimus grimaced internally at the awkwardness of this whole thing. He was likely the only Prime who ever needed to walk into this office as a new officer.

Her optics widened almost comically, "well then, I guess you won't be needing the full orientation then. But, first things first, you need your Elite Guard crest." Continuing to chatter on in what was obviously an introduction speech, she led him through the whole process, the only words he got in being answers to her questions.

Finally, armed with a detailed map schematic of headquarters, Optimus headed towards the office of the Second in Command. Along the way, he cast his gaze back down to his new Elite Guard crest, emblazoned on his left shoulder. He'd had two reasons for leaving it there. One being that the Autobot symbol there was designed to transmit of Cybertronian optical code; and the second being that, even with his Earth mode, his chestplates weren't really designed for that particular placement. Strangely enough though, seeing it there now, it didn't feel like the prize he had once seen it as. Instead, it merely felt like an affirmation of everything he had already done.

Opening the doors to the outer office, he was greeted by the sight of a silver and red mech already seated at the small reception desk there. The rest of the room was rather plain, aside from the Elite Guard crest on the doors to the inner office. His office. Abruptly the mech jumped up from his chair.

"Optimus Prime, sir! Welcome to the Elite Guard. My name is Bluestreak and I'll be your receptionbot, secretarybot, go-for-bot, basically your anything-you-need-bot, sir. Is there anything I can get you to start this solar cycle, sir?" The fast-paced chatter immediately clued Optimus in why his name was Bluestreak.

"Thank you, Bluestreak, but I think I'll need to look around first." Optimus told him, moving towards the office doors.

"Right, sir. Has Ultra Magnus given you the door codes yet? I have them too if you need them." Bluestreak asked.

"Ultra Magnus gave them to me." Optimus told him, keying in the code and opening the doors. Stepping inside, the first thing he noticed was that the office had obviously been cleared out. Nothing besides the desk and chairs sat in the room. Experience told him that Sentinel would have filled the room with trophies and other baubles. Nothing adorned the walls as like in other offices he'd seen, including the Magnus', and also, unlike the enclosed Magnus' office, windows took up much of the right wall, looking out on the training yard. Then he noticed the first missing piece. "Bluestreak, why isn't there a comm. terminal?"

"After Longarm revealed himself to really be Shockwave, all comm. terminals and other devices the Intelligence Division has access to were removed to be scanned for embedded codes, viruses, and other monitoring devices. Because this office hasn't been in use since then, the terminal hasn't been replaced yet. I requisitioned one last solar cycle when Ultra Magnus informed me that you were accepting the position as Second in Command, but it isn't scheduled to be delivered for another three megacycles." Bluestreak related, and Optimus realized he would never get the short version of events from him.

Optimus gave him a nod of acknowledgment as he made his way over to the desk and lowered himself into the chair behind it. From this angle, the office looked even larger and plainer. Looking back to Bluestreak he noticed that the mech seemed to be fidgeting with concentration, biting his lip plates in what was an obvious attempt to keep silent.

"Is there anything for me to work on yet?" Optimus asked.

"No sir." Words practically exploded from Bluestreak. "Since Ultra Magnus only gave you the position yesterday, none of the typical work has been diverted back to this office yet. And of the bots who know, all of them were told to keep from dropping anything off until a few cycles after you arrived so you wouldn't come in your first day to a pile of datapads. Although, since Decepticon activities seem to be slowing down, our work will probably slow considerably from what it has been of late. So don't worry, sir, you should have plenty of time to settle in without being overwhelmed. But if you are, feel free to tell me and I'll make sure to delegate some of the work to other capable bots."

"Thank you." Optimus told him, feeling a sense of amusement in the fact that here was probably the one bot who talked more than Bumblebee. "I'll work on settling in. If I need anything I'll call."

"Alright sir. I won't be far." Bluestreak saluted and left the office.

Optimus noticed that the Elite Guard crest also adorned the inside of the door. Turning his attention back to the desk, Optimus accessed the storage spaces. As he had expected, aside from common office materials; a few blank datapads, an assortment of styluses, a list of comm. frequencies, and other general information datapads, there was nothing. Optimus pulled out one of the blank datapads and started to try to form a list of items that might be necessary or nice to have in the office. Although after 'plant sculptures' and 'in/out bins' he was stuck. Having never had an official office before he wasn't sure what his work would make necessary.

Several cycles passed as Optimus stared at the wall in front of him. Venting deeply, Optimus stood, approaching the second door in the office. On the opposite end of the wall from the main office doors, this one was far more subtle. Keying the entry code, Optimus took a step inside. This was the Second's private recharge area. All officers had them attached to their offices, intended for use in emergencies when they needed to be nearby at all times. It held only a plain berth and an energon dispenser. As he turned to leave, something near the floor caught Optimus' optic. A familiar hidden catch adorned the base of the berth. Dropping onto one knee, Optimus triggered it, swinging the compartment open to reveal several datapads left by Sentinel. Pulling them out, he quickly scrolled through them. Three were filled with typical egotistical information, the plans for a statue of Sentinel as Magnus, the draft of a speech to be given at his appointment to Magnus, and a list of all his 'heroic' deeds. It was the fourth that made his processors freeze. An incomplete proposal had been drafted for an addition to the cyber stockades. But not just any addition, the plans were for an incineration chamber based on the shell disintegration machine in the Memorial Garden, and meant to be used on Decepticon prisoners.

Optimus leaned against the wall, sliding down onto his aft. _How could Sentinel even have considered such a thing? He was an Autobot! Autobots don't consider these things!_ Optimus stared at the datapad clutched in his servo. _Sentinel, what happened to you?_

_

* * *

_

O_O uh oh. :P Maybe I shouldn't a stuck Sentinel's pic in the center of my dart board. ;) And yes, I kinda keep throwing random Autobots into the picture in whatever position I happen to want them in.

**Wolf Prime:** Thanks for yet another review! :D I'm glad you're still enjoying it.

**Optimus'girl:** While Optimus is in line to be the next Magnus, I don't have plans to actually make him Magnus in this fic. Glad you're enjoying it!

**Rachel Wyld:** Unfortunately I don't have any plans to bring Blackarachnia into the fic. I kinda saw the end of Black Friday as her somehow being transwarped waaaay into the past and I don't have a way or a plot device for bringing her back.

**CherryBlossom713:** I definitely plan on at least hints of Rachet/Arcee and am considering an Optimus pairing. I'll announce it if/when I start to write it in that direction.

**scrin99:** Thanks for the review! Mourning is a process that can't be stopped so easily unfortunately.


	5. It Just Keeps Coming

So, I'm seriously hoping this doesn't generate new alerts every time I tweak a chapter since I've been doing that quite a bit. :\ No worries though, I'm not changing anything major, just a word or phrase here and there or adding notes. Anyways, I changed the rating and genre on this fic a bit, given the fact that it's really not all that 'adventurous' and more 'average life ect.' at the moment. Chose T in case I put romance, violence, extreme angst, insanity, ect. in. Actually, this is turning out a bit angstier than I had originally figured on. Apologies. Anyways, T rated drama/friendship it is!

* * *

**Chapter 5: It Just Keeps Coming**

.**  
**

"Somebot to see you…sir?" Bluestreak's cheerful voice echoed through the office. "Optimus Prime, sir?" A moment later Bluestreak stepped through the door. "There you are, sir, there's a bot here to – where did those come from? I could have sworn we emptied these rooms completely. Wait, a hidden compartment. How did you find it, sir? And what's on these datapads anyways?" Halfway through the one sided conversation Optimus pushed himself to his peds, systems straining a bit.

"Hey OP!" Jazz popped through the doorway, took one look at Optimus' expression and pried the datapad from his servos. Optimus watched Jazz's expression register surprise as he scrolled through the information. Abruptly Jazz lifted a servo to his comm.. "Jazz to Ultra Magnus. Optimus Prime's found something you need to see." He listened for a moment. "Yes sir."

"How could he even consider something like that?" Optimus finally exploded. "I know he's done some extreme things, but that…" Optimus indicated the datapad, "that's beyond extreme!"

"Sentinel never was down with the stockades being enough punishment for Decepticons." Jazz told him, shaking his head. "But this don't quite jive."

"I don't know." Optimus said. "A few solar cycles ago I wouldn't have though Sentinel capable of treason." He heard the telltale sound of the office door opening.

"Ultra Magnus, sir!" Bluestreak greeted, "I apologize, sir. I thought I'd found everything, but Optimus located a hidden storage compartment I hadn't seen. I promise it won't happen again, sir!"

"I understand, Bluestreak." Ultra Magnus' calm voice assured the mech. "Return to your post. Do not let anybot enter unless I instruct you otherwise."

"Yes sir! Understood!" Bluestreak practically ran back to his desk in his haste to obey the Magnus. A moment later Ultra entered the recharge chamber, quickly surveying the scene. Jazz handed him the datapad without a word. Ultra Magnus skimmed the data quickly, his expression neutral.

"Ultra Magnus to Cliffjumper." Ultra Magnus activated his comm.. "Report to Optimus Prime's office immediately." He closed the link only to immediately open another. "Ultra Magnus to Bluestreak. Cliffjumper is on his way. Please admit him when he arrives." He then turned to the two bots in the room. "I find it difficult to believe Sentinel was involved in this, but it must be investigated." Ultra stepped back out into the main office, Jazz and Optimus following.

"Could that even be done?" Jazz asked, indicating the datapad. "It seems pretty far out."

Ultra nodded. "If the proper materials could be attained, then yes, it is possible. But the amount of rare materials necessary to complete such a project are almost impossible to obtain anymore."

"I just can't believe Sentinel would so such a thing." Optimus commented. "He may have been reckless, but that's just not something _any_ Autobot would do."

"It's not something an Autobot should do, but there are Autobots who would." Ultra's solemn statement left a heavy silence in its wake. Half a cycle later Cliffjumper ran through the door.

"Cliffjumper reporting, sir." Cliffjumper slid to a stop before Ultra Magnus.

"Cliffjumper, Optimus Prime found this datapad in a hidden compartment. Evidence seems to point to Sentinel." Ultra told him, handing over the datapad. Cliffjumper scanned it, optics going wide before he turned to Optimus.

"How did you find the hidden storage space?" Cliffjumper asked, obviously suspicious.

"When Sentinel found something that worked, he stuck with it." Optimus told him. "Back in the Academy he showed me a similar hiding spot, and told me about how he'd been using them since he was a youngling to hide energon sweets. Bragged about how he'd never been found out."

Cliffjumper made a sound of acknowledgment. "Where was it hidden?" Optimus showed him into the recharge chamber. Cliffjumper immediately knelt down next to the compartment, closing it, examining the latch, and opening it again before shifting his attention to the other datapads still on the floor. After examining them, he stood up. "It's crude. Most bots wouldn't spot it, but any with even rudimentary intelligence training could find and access it. Adding to that the fact that this room is in no way hidden makes it possible for somebot to have planted it, but until it's analyzed I can't be certain." Cliffjumper turned back to the bots assembled behind him. "I can't rule in or out Sentinel's involvement yet."

"Then we won't keep you from your duties." Ultra Magnus told him. Cliffjumper nodded and headed for the main doors, almost running into Bluestreak as he opened them from the other side.

"Sirs!" Bluestreak exclaimed, dodging around Cliffjumper. "Message from the comm. center. There's someone called…Fanzone? Calling for Optimus Prime. Comm. center says it's important!"

"Captain Fanzone's calling?" Optimus wondered aloud. "He hates machines. For him to be calling it must be important."

"Could be 'Cons." Jazz theorized. Quickly Optimus, Jazz, and Ultra Magnus exited the office heading down to the comm. center. When they arrived, Captain Fanzone's impatient image was up on the main screen.

"Captain Fanzone." Optimus greeted. "What's wrong?"

"Well, you remember those two 'Constructicons'?" Fanzone asked. "Mix Master and Scrapper."

"Yes. Are they causing trouble again?" Optimus asked.

"No. They're not causin' it. They are the trouble." Now Optimus was confused. "Couple a construction workers found 'em at a job site. Called us out. We get out there and I discover they've been…whada'ya call it…offlined."

Surprise and dread filled Optimus' spark. "Any leads on who did it?"

"Whoever did it ripped 'em up real good." Fanzone told him. "I was kinda hopin' you could come take a look. Whoever it was seemed ta be after somethin'."

"I'll send a team with Optimus Prime to investigate this immediately." Ultra Magnus assured him. "It may be Decepticons after the remaining shards of the AllSpark."

"I was afraid a that." Fanzone lamented. "I'll try ta get some leads on the other nut bots. See if they're still in the area."

"Thank you, Captain." Optimus said.

"Yeah, yeah, you're welcome." Fanzone responded, cutting the connection.

Ultra Magnus turned to one of the communication technicians. "Contact Rodimus Prime's team. Have them report to Optimus Prime's office for briefing in 30 cycles."

"Yes sir." The technician responded, before turning to his station to complete his given task. Ultra Magnus then turned to Optimus.

"The science team Bumblebee and Bulkhead are assigned to does not leave for a decacycle. They are free to join your mission to Earth until then." Ultra informed him.

"Thank you, sir." Optimus managed a small smile before leaving the comm. center. Heading towards his office he activated his comm. on the team frequency. "Bumblebee, Bulkhead, where are you?"

"Enjoyin' the fanbots at the café." Bumblebee answered. "You really should join us, boss-bot."

"I can't. And I need you both here. Captain Fanzone called. There's trouble on Earth." Optimus told them.

"Decepticons?" Bulkhead asked.

"Unknown." Optimus said.

"But it probably is." Bumblebee interrupted. "And you know it."

"We shouldn't speculate until we get there." Optimus told him. "Both of you. In my office in 30 cycles. I'll fill you in with everyone else."

"We don't need backup!" Bumblebee shot back, indignantly.

"Like it or not, we're going to have it." Optimus told him, nodding to Bluestreak as he entered his office for only the second time. "Remember, not all of Starscream's clones are accounted for. 30 cycles. Be here." Optimus closed the connection and sank into his chair. For a solar cycle that was supposed to be easy it had turned out quite stressful.

Those 30 cycles passed quietly, and Optimus suspected that Bluestreak may have simply been trying to give him some peace. Ironhide and Brawn showed up with two bots Optimus didn't recognize. One, a red, white, and black femme whose left arm ended in an unusual attachment, the other, a mech whose armor was an array of blue, yellow, red, and black.

"Reporting as ordered, sir!" Ironhide announced, all of them standing at attention in front of his desk.

"At ease." Optimus told them, sitting up a bit straighter. "Ironhide and Brawn I know, but I haven't met you two before."

"I'm Hot Shot, sir!" The mech introduced himself, stepping forward and saluting. "Elite Guard warrior, extraordinaire!" Optimus had to fight to keep the smirk off his faceplates as the others rolled their optics behind his back. Cocky, for sure, and probably a bit overconfident, but undoubtedly also skilled. Or at least that's what he hoped.

"Team medic, Red Alert, sir." The femme introduced herself, foregoing any self-praise.

"Alright. Now we just have to wait for…" Optimus began to say 'Bumblebee and Bulkhead' when they walked through the door. "You're late."

"Sorry boss-bot. Your office is kinda hard to find." Bumblebee apologized, looking as innocent and apologetic as he could.

"Yeah, and we woulda been here sooner if Bumblebee hadn't a gotten us lost." Bulkhead added.

"Hey!" Bumblebee turned on him, indignant. "It wasn't my fault! That sign…"

"Enough you two." Optimus cut them off, audios picking up another sound in the silence. "And you can come out now, Sari."

"Oh, hey Optimus." Sari popped up from behind Bulkhead, a sweet smile already in place. "Long time no see."

"Sari…" Optimus began, but she cut him off.

"What? You didn't actually think I'd let you go without me? You can't make me stay behind!" Sari glared defiantly at him.

"An organic!" Hot Shot all but screamed, stepping away from her.

"In case you didn't get the message, Earth is an _organic_ planet. If you have a problem with that you can stay behind." Optimus told him sternly.

"No sir." Hot Shot responded, still not looking too comfortable in Sari's presence.

"And actually, I'm a techno-organic." Sari informed him haughtily.

"Who I can't officially ask to come with us." Optimus added.

"But…" Sari began, looking upset.

"But we can offer you transportation to your birth planet." Optimus finished, a small smile on his lip plates as Sari blushed and smiled at him. "Now, 31 cycles ago we received a transmission from Captain Fanzone. He'd been called out to a construction site where Mix Master and Scrapper were found offlined."

"What?" Bulkhead's jaw dropped, shock written across his faceplates. "But how? Why?"

"Well, duh, Decepticons probably attacked them for their AllSpark fragments." Bumblebee interceded. "So what are we waiting for? Let's go whoop some Decepti-scum."

"Not so fast, Bumblebee. That's not our primary mission." Optimus told them. "First we have to find out if the AllSpark shards are missing and confirm, not speculate, who took them. Second, we need to locate Wreck-Gar before he's offlined."

"Boss." Bulkhead spoke up, "if Mix Master and Scrapper survived that explosion then Dirt Boss probably did too. We should look for him too."

"You're right. If whoever attacked the Constructicons was after the AllSpark shards, he'll be in danger too." Optimus agreed.

"Sir?" Ironhide spoke up, "what's this about AllSpark shards?"

Before Optimus could reply Sari spoke up. "Well, after Megatron's body was rebuilt he managed to get his hands on the AllSpark, which he shoved into his spark, but Optimus removed it, except when he did it kinda shattered, and then the fragments gave life to some construction equipment."

"And garbage." Bulkhead added.

"And Starscream's clones." Bumblebee added.

"And they revived Omega Supreme." Sari noted.

"And…" Bumblebee started, but Optimus cut him off.

"Bumblebee, Sari, Bulkhead, that's enough. The point is, the AllSpark _was_ shattered until Jazz and Prowl used processor over matter to pull it back together. Now only a few shards are left out there." Optimus summed it all up.

"So we're going to this organic planet to see if these 'AllSpark-shard created bots' may or may not have had their AllSpark shards removed by somebot or somebots who may or may not be Decepticons?" Hot Shot asked, looking doubtful and confused.

"That pretty much sums it up." Optimus confirmed, trying not to smile at the dumbfounded looks that Rodimus Prime's entire team now sported.

* * *

Yayes! Weirdness! ...maybe I should lay off the candy...

**Wolf Prime:** Another review to thank you for! :D I know he technically is the next in line, but I have no plans on actually making him Magnus. He would make a good Magnus though.

**Optimus'girl:** LOL getting Bluestreak to chill? Not likely, but funny. I don't know why, but he was the first bot to pop into my mind when I decided I wanted Optimus to have a secretary/receptionist. And yea, the afterburner definitely 'burns.' ;)

**Rachel Wyld:** Yes, anything can happen. Who knows, maybe I'll find a reason to write her in a bit, but no promises.

**JZ Belexes: **Thank you very much. I'm glad you liked what I've written so far, and the somewhat random/obscure use of bots that otherwise don't really appear in Animated. I figure, since they exist, I might as well use them, or at least their general names/characteristics. They're likely to be OOC in their new roles though. And yes, there is more than meets the eye. Although, admittedly, I don't like Sentinel and greatly enjoyed killing him off. Actually, I seem to be killing off quite a few characters so far...oops...

**_Please review!_**


	6. Back Again

On to another chapter. More bots and information. Been busy so writing's going slow. Please be a bit patient. :)

* * *

**Chapter 6: Back Again**

.**  
**

Upon exiting the main doors the newly formed team came to an abrupt halt. Sitting between them and the gates sat Omega Supreme in ship mode, Arcee and Ratchet standing at the bottom of his extended ramp.

"Ratchet, Arcee, Omega Supreme, what are you doing here?" Optimus asked.

"Heard your call and figured, since we're all headed in the same direction, we might as well give you a lift." Ratchet informed him, somewhat smugly.

"Really?" Bulkhead asked, "but why are you heading to Earth?"

"The organic planet, Earth, is interesting." Omega Supreme's voice softly thundered around them. "I wish to see more."

"So, this is like a sightseeing trip?" Bumblebee asked.

"Not for you!" Ratchet grumped and Arcee lifted a servo to her faceplates to hide a smile. "So are you joining us or not?"

"We would appreciate the ride." Optimus told them. "Thank you." Waving the others on he activated his comm.. "Optimus Prime to Smokescreen."

"Smokescreen here sir." The communications mech answered immediately.

"Please inform Professor Sumdac on Earth that we won't be using the space bridge for this trip. We've been offered another means of transportation." Optimus instructed, boarding Omega Supreme after the others.

"Yes sir." Smokescreen responded, and Optimus cut the connection as he felt Omega Supreme lift off. He arrived on the command deck just in time to watch the transwarp field engage around them, dissipating a nanoklik later to reveal the blue skies and green organic life of Earth.

"Where should I land?" Omega Supreme asked.

"Could you take us to Detroit?" Optimus asked. "Ratchet can provide coordinates."

"And try to find these new bots suitable Earth forms so they don't stand out like rusty protoforms." Ratchet snapped half sparkedly as he entered the landing coordinates into Omega Supreme's systems.

"I will try." Omega Supreme answered, images and schematics instantly popping up on the screens around them, flashing through different vehicles. Half a cycle later, four vehicles were displayed. "Are these okay?"

"They fit the bots specs." Ratchet commented.

"And they're normal enough they won't stand out." Bumblebee interjected, obviously remembering Sentinel's attempt at 'inconspicuous' Earth modes.

"Yes, those are good choices. Well done." Optimus agreed, watching as their new teammates applied and tested their new Earth modes.

"Ain't bad." Ironhide commented rocking on his H3's axels.

"Acceptable." Brawn acknowledged his decked out Toyota Hilux pickup mode.

A chirp came from the sirens adorning Red Alert's small search and rescue truck form. "Very practical."

"WOOHOO!" Hot Shot hollered, tires smoking as the Lamborghini Murcielago spun donuts on Omega Supreme's decking. "I love this! Man, I think I'm gonna like this planet!"

"Cool it, Hot Shot." Optimus ordered. "Humans have a lot of rules for driving on their roads, and you'll be expected to follow them."

"We're here." Omega Supreme announced, setting down in an empty lot hear the outskirts of Detroit. As the other bots exited, Optimus turned to Ratchet.

"How long are you three staying?" Optimus asked.

"We'll stay until Omega Supreme's seen everything he wants to see." Arcee answered. "I admit, I am also looking forward to seeing more of this planet."

"Well, I wish you a safe trip then." Optimus told her. "Do you have any plans for after Earth?"

"The plan is that there ain't a plan." Ratchet told him. "We'll go where we go, and get back when we've had enough."

"Right." Optimus nodded descending the ramp before turning back one last time. "If you do happen to run into any Decepticons let us know immediately. I know you're more than capable of handling them on your own, but any information you can provide about their activities is welcome."

"We will." Omega Supreme assured, retracting the ramp and lifting off slowly, skimming low over the trees. Optimus turned back to the team, glancing over them quickly before deciding on orders.

"Alright. First things first. We'll head to the construction site and examine Mix Master and Scrapper. And be aware, on this planet, we drive on the right side of the road. Most intersections have suspended traffic lights. Green is go, red is stop." Optimus lectured.

"Yellow means it's about to turn red, so you should slow down and be prepared to stop. Unless you're already pretty much through the intersection." Sari piped up.

"Right." Optimus sighed. "And be aware of the speed limits. Your Earth modes should all have functional velocity measuring devices, so don't go above the numerical values indicated on signs beside the road. Except in emergencies, but even then, be careful. The other vehicles on the roads are piloted by humans who can't react as quickly as we can."

The gradually increasing wail of sirens alerted them to the incoming police. Soon the cars came into view, led by a small white hatchback with a red light on the roof. Once they were stopped, Captain Fanzone stepped out of the white car.

"Good. You're here." Fanzone comments blandly. "And it looks like you brought more bots. Just great."

"Captain Fanzone, I'd appreciate it if you would show us to the location where Mix Master and Scrapper are." Optimus spoke up before Captain Fanzone could go into a rant about how he hates machines.

"Alright, alright." Captain Fanzone conceded, turning back to his new car. "Follow me. And these new guys better not break any laws."

"We'll try our best, Captain." Optimus assured him, transforming. Out of the corner of his optic he caught sight of a standard gold and black police motorcycle, pain lancing through his spark. This trip would be a lot harder to endure than he'd previously thought.

The location was halfway across the city, giving Optimus, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Sari plenty of time and frustration teaching the new bots driving laws. Ironhide almost rammed Captain Fanzone's car when he pulled up at a stop sign, not realizing what that particular indicator meant. Brawn failed to yield when the road they were on merged with another, giving a human driver quite a scare. Hot Shot had to be nearly constantly reminded to slow down and take corners in a less reckless manner, not that he really paid much attention. Overall, Red Alert was a far better driver, although even she got a bit flummoxed with the sheer number and variety of road signs.

Descending into the newly poured basement of the barely started building, they were greeted with the sight of two masses of twisted, mangled greyed metal that had once been Mix Master and Scrapper. Immediately Red Alert transformed and began scanning them.

"Spread out and look for any evidence of a culprit." Optimus ordered, watching with some satisfaction and pride when all of the bots, aside from Red Alert who was still assessing the offlined mechs, immediately did as they were told.

Captain Fanzone whistled from near Optimus' peds. "You didn't tell me you brought along a lady-bot."

"We femme's prefer to be treated much the same as our mech counterparts." Red Alert informed him coolly, not even looking up.

"Ah, sorry. Didn't mean no offense or nothin'." Fanzone apologized, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Apology accepted." Red Alert acquiesced, before turning to Optimus. "There is no trace of the AllSpark within these bots. The damage to their structures is extreme. Blast patterns are consistent with Decepticon weaponry, although any bot with claws may have removed the shards that gave them life."

Optimus sighed. In many ways, he'd almost been hoping that the Decepticons weren't involved. At least if the humans had done this the fragments would be easier to retrieve since Earth inventions were not capable of standing up to Cybertronians.

"Optimus Prime!" Ironhide called. "Over here, sir. I found something." Optimus quickly made his way over to the broken section of wall where Ironhide stood, optics following the motion of his servo to the paint transfer on the concrete.

"The colorings are definitely consistent with Decepticons." Optimus announced. "Specifically, Starscream's femme clone."

"Do you think she offlined them both herself?" Bulkhead asked, making his way over to them.

"It's not impossible." Optimus conceded.

"Hey!" Bumblebee yelled. "That femme clone was dark blue and teal, right?"

"Yea." Bulkhead confirmed.

"Well, I just found a whole lotta blue and purple paint over here, so I don't think she was alone." Bumblebee pointed to a warped metal I-beam that was marred with paint.

"Do you think that scared clone was here too?" Bulkhead asked, examining rubble on the ground.

"Even if he was, I doubt he would have done any fighting." Optimus answered. "We need to split up and start looking for the other two AllSpark bots immediately."

"You guys go ahead." Captain Fanzone piped up. "I'll have my guys take care of the bodies."

"Right." Optimus nodded, quickly assembling teams in his processor. He wouldn't put either Bulkhead or Bumblebee with Ironhide since they hadn't gotten along in boot camp. That just left a few options. "Red Alert and Bumblebee, I want the two of you to start searching along the north side of town. Talk to the humans and see if anyone's seen Wreck-Gar or Dirt Boss. Bulkhead and Brawn, head out west. Be sure to check the wrecking yard. Sari and Ironhide, head to the south end of town. Hot Shot, you're with me. We'll go to the east, starting with Dinobot Island. Autobots, transform and roll out!"

* * *

By the time darkness fell, Optimus was in a foul mood. The trip to Dinobot Island had been anything but a success. He and Hot Shot had barely gotten an answer to their question about the two bots before they were chased off the Island. Their search of the docks and the surrounding areas hadn't revealed any leads and most of the time Optimus had to keep reminding Hot Shot not to speed, to take corners more safely, and to obey the road signs. His recklessness had damaged half a dozen cars and taken out several signs. One turn into a dead end nearly had him totaled. As it was, he was no longer the pristine Lamborghini he'd been when they started out.

"Autobots, report." Optimus ordered over an open comm. link.

"No sign of 'em in this area, boss." Bulkhead reported.

"Nothin' here either." Sari replied glumly.

"We found a couple humans who though they saw somethin'," Bumblebee answered, "but so far all the leads have been dead ends."

"Alright." Optimus acknowledged. "Let's head to our headquarters. We'll resume the search in the daylight hours." And they needed to report this.

Upon arriving at the warehouse, Optimus opened the main doors, noting the slight covering of dust inside. Slowly they entered, turning on the lights. It looked exactly the same as when they'd left. Nostalgia warred with grief as Optimus turned to the others.

"Ironhide, Brawn, Hot Shot, and Red Alert, follow me. We should have enough temporary quarters set up for all of you." Heading further into the warehouse, he turned down the hall towards the extra rooms, the opposite direction of theirs. Keying open several doors, Optimus indicated they could take their pick. "They're not luxury suites, but they are a place to recharge."

"Are you going to contact Cybertron and update them on recent developments?" Red Alert asked.

"Yes," Optimus responded, "once Bulkhead assembles the…"

"Boss! I've got the communications relay set up." Bulkhead interrupted. "You can contact Cybertron now."

"Or now." Optimus mumbled, turning back to the bots still standing in the hall. "You're free to watch TV, play video games, or otherwise do what you like, but I'd recommend getting some recharge. We'll be searching the city and surrounding areas tomorrow." Optimus then turned, heading swiftly for the computer terminal in the main room.

A few cycles later Ultra Magnus' visage appeared on the screen.

"Greetings, Optimus Prime. You have information I take it." Ultra Magnus opened the conversation.

"Yes sir." Optimus straightened before giving his report. "Red Alert has confirmed that Mix Master and Scrapper were attacked by bots with Decepticon weaponry and their AllSpark shards removed by a bot or bots with claws. Further examination of the scene also revealed paint transfers matching the colorings of two Starscream clones. This leads me to believe that the attacks were in fact carried out by Decepticons."

"I see." Ultra Magnus noted. "And what of the other AllSpark driven bots. Have you located them?"

"No sir." Optimus told him. "We tracked down several leads, but none of them led to Wreck-Gar or Dirt Boss. We will expand the search tomorrow."

"Very well." Ultra Magnus acknowledged, before shifting to a new topic. "There is news you need to be aware of." A moment later Cliffjumper and Perceptor appeared on another screen.

"Optimus Prime." Cliffjumper's visage appeared on the screen. "We've examined the datapad you found and discovered it was written by Sentinel, but he appears to have been working with Shockwave."

"Shockwave? How can you be certain?" Optimus asked.

"The coding used in some areas of the plans is one used almost exclusively by Shockwave while he posed as Longarm." Cliffjumper answered.

"Do you know why they were working on this?" Optimus asked.

"Their reasonings are unclear, except for the purpose of destruction." Cliffjumper answered, "Perceptor has made a discovery though."

"Given the nature of his offlining, I examined Sentinel's coding myself." Perceptor intoned. "There were indications of a virus in his systems. It was designed to slowly amplify his negative emotions to the point of irrational processing. The virus coding and execution were designed to build over time, relatively unnoticed by Sentinel or those around him, although the greater the negative emotions in a situation, the quicker the amplification would result."

"I see." Optimus intoned, guilt for ever doubting searing his circuits. "Was Shockwave responsible for the virus?"

"There are indications of his coding within the virus, but we believe another Decepticon actually designed it." Cliffjumper told him. "He may only have altered it to infect Sentinel."

"As of this solar cycle, all Elite Guard are being ordered to report to medical for in-depth virus scanning." Ultra Magnus alerted them. "We do not believe this to be an isolated incident. When you return from your mission on Earth, each of you will be expected to submit to a scan as well."

"Yes, Commander." Optimus acknowledged, feeling a sudden chill that had nothing to do with weather.

"Keep us informed." Ultra Magnus commanded. "Cybertron out." And the connection was severed, leaving Optimus standing before blank screens.

* * *

And suddenly the picture gets clearer! Or muddier...meh...

**Wolf Prime:** Thank you for your review again. Mystery solved...for now.

**scrin99:** Glad you liked them both!

**saberstorm:** lol yes, I suppose she is resourceful. Might have her make an appearance, but probably no time paradoxes. And I have yet to have a reviewer who was sad about Sentinel. Glad you're liking it. Thanks for the review.

**CherryBlossom713:** Well, not a bad guess if she were appearing now. Not so this time. But like I said, she may make a minor appearance. In some way. Thanks again for the reviews!

**Optimus'girl:** I know, I actually kinda felt bad about offlining them. 'Course given their possession (even unwittingly) of AllSpark shards, I couldn't see them getting left alone. I'm glad you're still liking it. :D And answering reviews is nice. Thanks!

**Please be kind and review.**


	7. How Things Change

So, another day, another chapter, and things get interesting.

* * *

**Chapter 7: How Things Change**

.**  
**

Wind whispered through the branches of the tree which dominated this now empty room Optimus sat it. He found himself sitting in front of it, much as Prowl had done, simply watching the shifting moonlight as it filtered through the gently waving limbs. So many memories filled this room, almost suffocating Optimus' spark. How many times had Prowl tried to get him to be still and simply watch nature? Anymore, he couldn't remember, yet here he sat, still, watching.

Snatches of a song drifted through his processor, the one a human had insisted be played as a memorial, before loading Prowl into Omega Supreme for the trip back to Cybertron. Some of it hadn't made sense to him, yet other parts of it, poignant reminders of their loss. Even the fact that most of the song was dominated by only two instruments, quietly underlined by more, fit Prowl, the depth of his character understated, highlighted in a noticeable, but simple, manner.

_An angelface smiles to me, under a headline of tragedy. That smile used to give me warmth._ Prowl rarely smiled, really, but when he did, as small as it was, it meant something.

_Farewell, no words to say, beside the cross on your grave…_ Optimus remembered his eulogy. He knew that, as many bots had listened, they would still not truly understand what he had meant. Perhaps silence would have been a better option. A more Prowl-like option.

_Needed elsewhere, to remind us of the shortness of our time._ Even as long lived as they were, loss did truly remind one to cherish time together. Unfortunately such reminders always seemed to be understood too late for that one who went.

_Bury my dreams, dig up my sorrows, oh, Lord why, the angels fall first._ So much truth seemed to be contained in such a simple sentiment.

_Yesterday we shook hands, my friend. Today a moonbeam lightens my path, my guardian._ Lights began to dance in the stillness of the room, their yellow-green glow flitting about randomly. Upon closer inspection, he recognized them as Earth insects. Some sort of light-bug.

"They're pretty amazing, aren't they?" Bumblebee asked from the doorway. Optimus started a bit, realizing he hadn't heard his approach.

"Yes, they are." Optimus answered, watching as Bumblebee walked over and sat down next to him. Some of the light-bugs scattered, but when he made no other moves they slowly returned. Together they sat in silence for several cycles. "I can't help but wish I'd listened to Prowl more. All the time he was offering up his wisdom and we weren't even appreciating it."

"Yeah." Bumblebee murmured his agreement, looking downcast. "I always called it useless ninjabot slag…now I wish I he was here spouting more of it."

"Prowl was an amazing bot and a great teammate. I find myself selfishly wishing he hadn't given up his spark, even though he saved all of us." Optimus conceded quietly, the words releasing some of the bitterness that had been coiling within him.

"I don't think Prowl even considered that an option." Bumblebee shook his head. "And in the end he's the biggest hero-bot of us all. All those fanbots I was raving about…they always mention Prowl." Abruptly Bumblebee looked up at him, arms waving a bit. "I mean, come on, I'm a hero too! Just about the time I start feeling good about myself, they bring up Prowl…"

"And you end up feeling jealous and upset at the same time." Optimus finished for him. "And then even more upset that you're feeling jealous."

"Yeah." Bumblebee agreed, falling silent for a while. Finally, he spoke up again. "Y'know, one thing I can't understand. How'd you become friends with Sentinel? I mean, you're like total opposites! He was nasty to everybot and he had got the biggest ego this side of Starscreams egotistic clone!"

"Because he wasn't always like that, Bumblebee." Optimus answered.

"How do you mean?" Bumblebee asked, tilting his head curiously.

"Sure, he always had a big ego, but he wasn't always that mean. At least not towards me." Optimus half closed his optics, remembering. "We became friends in our first decacycle at the Academy. I was the only bot who didn't tell him to shut up when he went off on one of his overly enthusiastic self-monologues."

"Sooo, because you listened he decided you were friends?" Bumblebee looked a bit confused.

"Not just that. We were friends. He would listen to me too." Optimus shifted his position slightly, turning to face Bumblebee more. "When I started the Academy my aim was terrible. Our drill instructor ordered me to practice my aim for a megacycle after drills each solar cycle until I improved. Each and every one of those practices Sentinel was there with me. Sometimes he just sat and talked to me, giving me pointers or just rambling, other times he practiced as well. That is the Sentinel I was friends with." Optimus bowed his head. "And I doubted him. I let myself believe he would really commit treason so easily."

"You weren't the only one." Bumblebee tried to reassure him, "I mean, come on, everybot thought he'd just finally snapped!"

"But maybe if I'd been there I would have seen something!" Optimus insisted, "maybe I could have done something, saved him."

"Boss-bot, I hate to break it to you, but if you'd been there, you probably would have just seen him slowly becoming unstable. No one around him noticed because it didn't happen all at once. You being there wouldn't have changed that." Bumblebee lectured him.

"Maybe you're right." Optimus sighed.

"You know I'm right." Bumblebee corrected smugly.

"Well, I was going to say you are becoming more mature, but.." Optimus started, smirking a bit.

"Hey, I am too mature." Bumblebee retorted.

"You have your moments." Optimus spoke quietly, turning back towards the tree.

There was quite a long stretch of silence, for Bumblebee, before he finally asked, "so…what happened? I mean, what changed? Why'd Sentinel suddenly go all nasty on you?"

"We met Cadet Elita-One." Optimus dropped his head, staring at the flooring. "When we both realized we had a crush on her it became a competition, who could impress her the most, who could win her affections. Who would get her." They sat in silence again, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Do you think you could've ever made up?" Bumblebee asked, "I mean if that whole 'organic planet disaster' thing hadn't happened. Do you think you would've gone back to being friends the way you once were?"

Optimus shifted his gaze upwards, noticing that the sky outside the room was becoming lighter. Apparently he'd sat in there the whole night. "I don't know." He finally answered softly. They continued to sit there until the sun shone over the horizon and the sounds of other bots waking filled the warehouse.

Together they walked into the main room, Optimus making his way over to the computer once again, this time pulling up a map of Detroit and the surrounding areas. Inputting all the data they had on sightings and personalities of the bots they were looking for, he extrapolated as many possible search locations as he could. When all of the other bots were finally up and in the room, Optimus shared his ideas.

"Alright, since a blanket search revealed nothing useful, I used all the information we have to highlight the best search locations." Optimus announced, motioning to the screen. "Now, Dirt Boss is most likely to be at any refueling station, oil refinery, or other oil rich locations including transport vehicles. Wreck-Gar is far less predictable, but any suspicious piles or trails of garbage should be looked into as he commonly leaves them behind as…'gifts'." Optimus turned to face them. "With any luck, they will be either in the Detroit area or surrounding locations." Several new colored markings appeared on the screen. "These locations have been targeted by Decepticons more than once in the past. Keep your optics focused when you're near any of them. Given the evidence of Decepticons still in the area, _stick together_ and report anything suspicious immediately." When he received signs of acknowledgment from all of them, he gave the command, "Autobots, transform and roll out!"

* * *

It was well past midday before the call came.

"Prime! We spotted a seeker near the old Decepticon base!" Brawn announced.

"What's your status?" Optimus asked, concerned, making an abrupt left turn, pushing his engine hard as he headed in their direction. "Which seeker is it?"

""It's the coward." Bulkhead answered, "and he's running. We can't keep him in sight much longer, but he's headed towards the south end of the city."

"Copy that." Sari cut in. "We'll keep our eyes and optics peeled for him."

"He likely won't engage, but try to keep up with him. He may lead us to the other Decepticons." Optimus ordered, once again changing course, Hot Shot skidding by him nearly swapping paint. "Hot Shot! Be careful! You could hurt some humans!"

"I got it sealed!" Hot Shot answered. "I can avoid them just fine!"

"But they may crash anyway because they won't know that!" Optimus snapped, exasperated. "You don't have a siren to alert them to your approach." He would have said more, but Ironhide's call diverted his attention.

"I've got the Decepticon in sight. Looks like he might land." Ironhide announced.

"Engage if necessary to protect the organics, but try talking first." Optimus instructed him. "Right now we need information. Put him in stasis cuffs if you can."

"Understood sir." Ironhide acknowledged.

When Optimus and Hot Shot reached the scene they discovered that Ironhide and Sari had the clone trapped inside a disused parking garage. As expected, the clone was pressed against the wall, as far away from the two facing him as possible, shaking.

"Please don't hurt me." He whimpered, clutching the sides of his helm. "I don't want to fight you!"

"What were ya lookin' for at that base?" Ironhide asked, taking a step closer.

"I don't know!" The clone screamed. "Slipstream just told me to go there and look for a tachyon transmitter!"

"Who's Slipstream?" Ironhide asked. The clone just whined and Ironhide took a threatening step forward, asking again, "who's Slipstream?"

"The femme! She decided to call herself Slipstream!" The clone practically screamed, raising his servos in a protective gesture.

"What are the others called?" Sari asked gently, at least gently compared to Ironhide.

"All I know are Thundercracker and Slipstream." He whimpered. "I swear, that's all I know. The others hadn't decided yet!"

"What's yer name?" Ironhide growled.

"Skywarp." He practically whispered, shrinking back as much as he could.

"Why did you come back here, Skywarp?" Sari asked.

"They were supposed to be here." Skywarp answered, looking around wildly as Bumblebee and Red Alert pulled up. "Please. I don't want to be turned into scrap."

"I thought he was the cowardly one." Bumblebee spoke up, "so why did the others run away?"

"Because he was a diversion." Optimus realized. "They must have found another AllSpark bot and sent him to the mines in order to draw us here, away from them."

"Slag it!" Ironhide grumbled. "We've been duped."

"Great! Now we gotta start searching all over again!" Bumblebee whined.

"They're to the Northeast." Sari told them. Every single pair of optics turned to her and she shrugged. "I just know."

Quickly, Optimus stepped forward and placed stasis cuffs on the Skywarp. "Red Alert, can you handle a prisoner?" He asked.

"Yes sir." Red Alert answered calmly. "Where shall I take him?"

"At the center of the city is Sumdac Tower." Optimus told her. "Take him there. We'll need to send him to Cybertron through the spacebridge at the top." She nodded and he turned to the others. "Sari, lead the way." He activated his comm. as he transformed. "Bulkhead, Brawn, there is possible Decepticon activity to the Northeast of our current location. Head in that direction and rendezvous with us as soon as possible."

"Got it, boss." Bulkhead answered.

With Sari leading, their convoy headed across town as fast as possible. Even Hot Shot couldn't zip ahead because he didn't know where he was going, so he stuck close. Ultimately, they arrived, and took in the rather bizarre scene before them. Slipstream was engaged in battle with Thundercracker while Dirt Boss stood to the side ranting.

"I don't take no orders from nobody!" Dirt Boss yelled, "and that includes you bots! Now yous gonna learn your lesson."

"Which one's he got control of?" Bulkhead asked as he and Brawn pulled up, transforming beside Optimus.

"Looks like the ego clone, Thundercracker." Optimus answered.

"What do you mean 'got control of'?" Brawn asked, taking a step forward.

"Dirt Boss' got this drill like control module he can fire at other bots." Bulkhead told him. "Once it drills in he has control of your chassis."

"Autobots!" Slipstream suddenly shrieked, drawing everybots attention to each other. "That useless coward has failed."

"Yous the bots that interfered with me last time." Dirt Boss growled. "Nows time for payback." Thundercracker let out a screech as he suddenly took off on a collision course with the Autobots.

"I'm not a missile!" He hollered, his speeding frame barely pulling up in time to avoid a direct collision with a skyscraper as the Autobots all dove out of his flight path. "How dare you do this to me you insignificant piece of scrap!"

"Oh, shut up!" Slipstream snapped at him, opening fire at the Autobots. "Who cares how they're destroyed as long as they're destroyed!" Rubble rained down as she hit almost everything but the bots she was aiming at.

Brawn picked up a large slab of building and threw it at her as Ironhide charged. The projectile missed her, but it was enough of a distraction to allow Ironhide to reach her. His armor deflected her shots as well as fists, while her agility kept his from hitting anything vital. Bumblebee and Hot Shot opened fire on the still ranting mech clone as Sari flew at him with stasis cuffs.

Optimus was forced to dive to the side as Thundercracker nearly rammed into him again. Looking around, he noticed that Dirt Boss was no longer anywhere to be seen.

Quickly it became apparent that the once controlled seeker was getting control of his body back. Unfortunately for him that meant momentary lack of full coordination, and a myriad of blasts from Bumblebee and Hot Shot sent him flying away.

"This fight isn't worth my time." Was his parting remark.

A blast near Ironhide's peds was enough to knock him back and give Slipstream space to take off as well.

"Aww, come on!" Hot Shot grumbled.

"Autobots, fan out and find Dirt Boss." Optimus ordered, rolling up from the ground. Transforming the others quickly sped down the surrounding streets. "Sari, do you know where he is?"

"I know he's still in the city." Sari told him, shaking her head. "I don't know why I knew where he was before. Maybe it's because all three of them were together."

"Their AllSpark shards could have reacted to each other creating a beacon." Optimus theorized.

"If only I knew why I know the things I do." Sari sighed.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually." Optimus assured her, then activated his comm.. "Any signs of Dirt Boss yet?" When a chorus of negative responses came over the line he frowned. "Alright. Keep looking. Sari and I are going to head to Sumdac Tower to transfer Skywarp to Cybertron." Transforming and closing the connection he popped a door open for Sari. "And you can spend some time with your father."

Sari smiled and jumped in. "What are we waiting for? Let's get going!"

* * *

So, in case you're wondering, I had Skywarp intro the other clones because they weren't really named in the series. Now they're named for this fic. ;) And yea, kinda another sad-ish chapter.

**scrin99:** Well, Werck-Gar hasn't been found yet, so he is safe...ish. And the plot spins are my imagination going down a windy mountain road and then promptly falling off a cliff. Yeah...thanks for the review!

**Sounddrive:** Yep, Skywarp is definitely 'okay' but a prisoner. Given his cowardly nature he's not likely to get hurt. Wreck-Gar will have to appear eventually. No guarantees on a very big role though. And I'm still debating whether or not to include Blackarachnia in any way. But in this case, it wasn't her claws. Thanks for the review!

**Optimus'girl:** Yes, Sentinel still was a jerk as we saw him. And I may or may not really name a specific Decepticon as a creator of the virus. In fact, the virus may actually be quite old. ;) And you'll find out just how much damage has been done eventually. And why. Thanks for the review!

**Wolf Prime:** Bwahahahaa, beware the unexpected. It likes to jump out from under the bed. And yes, Slipstream is quite the mean spirited bot. Thanks again for another review!

**CherryBlossom713:** Well, ultimately Shockwave is responsible for infecting Sentinel. The virus and its plot will be revealed...in a few chapters. After the current plotline falls off another cliff...o_O Thanks for the review again!

**Fire BumbleBee:** I'm glad you're liking this and where it's going. Hopefully you continue to like it as the story evolves. Thanks for the review!


	8. Changing Plans

Okay, so fun filled super short chappy that started fairly normal and then ate a secondary plot bunny that had been floating around for a while and took on some new directions.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Changing Plans**

.**  
**

Connecting with Cybertron and transferring Skywarp had gone smoothly and quickly. Optimus had decided to leave Sari with her father to catch up and help his teammates in searching for the missing Dirt Boss. And hopefully Wreck-Gar. So far there were no traces. He was starting to get frustrated. If only they knew why the Decepticons wanted those AllSpark shards.

They couldn't make more clones, unless there were more protoforms out there that the Decepticons had control of. Optimus shuddered at the thought of more Omega Supreme clones. Or Starscream clones. They were, after all, bad enough, really. Yet there was hope, seeing as only the clones were here attacking, that this was just a play for more power. A second AllSpark shard in those bots could be dangerous, but how dangerous, no one really knew.

He heard the whine of jet engines barely a nanoklik before the seeker was on top of him. Abruptly, he felt himself being lifted off the ground, the seeker carrying him heading straight up. Pinned against the jet's cockpit, seeker arms wrapped around his sides, and claws digging into his undercarriage, there was no way for him to transform without falling. Trying to comm. his team, Optimus quickly discovered that he was being jammed. Using his only option, he activated his sub-frequency, wide band emergency alert relay. Every Autobot within a 3 lightyear radius would receive the distress pings, identifying him and be easily traced to his location.

When Thundercracker appeared below him, he was left without a doubt that it was Slipstream who grabbed him. They stopped going up, being thousands of feet up into Earth's atmosphere, and appeared to have started heading south.

"Hurry up and do it, you fool." Slipstream hissed at Thundercracker from above him. "He'll already have activated his distress beacon and I don't want those Autobots being able to track us."

"The Autobots couldn't track us if they tried." Thundercracker spoke haughtily even as he pulled a small rectangular device out of his subspace. Suddenly, he was practically rubbing frames with Optimus as he closed in, claws putting more punctures in Optimus' armor as he grabbed a hold, drawing back, only to shove the boxy device deep within Optimus' undercarriage.

Optimus couldn't do anything to stop the strangled, staticy cry of pain that escaped his vocalizer when it activated, the massive electrical shock ripping through his systems, safeties engaging and dropping him almost instantly into stasis.

* * *

Optimus' systems reset slowly and painfully. The first thing he became aware of was that his chronometer wasn't displaying the time properly. In fact, it wasn't displaying anything that could be read as a time. He tried to recalibrate it, only to have it spit out more random characters and symbols. And then the rest of his sensory data hit. None of it made any sense. What he knew should be his knee joints were pinging back as his tires, servo sensors confused with energon tanks, and his hip plates read as his peds.

When his optics and audios onlined, things only got worse. His vision was warped, and strangely inverted, flickering bars and waves of static occasionally interposing themselves over everything. The input from his audios, almost worse; feedback, rumbles, pings and other unusual noises dominating. Somehow he doubted any systems were left unaffected, but he tried his comms anyway. It was a moment before he recognized the new flickering in his vision and realized that his attempt to activate his comms had instead turned on his Earth mode's emergency lights.

Luckily it seemed that the small device his systems belatedly registered deep within his chassis hadn't affected his basic system support. His spark pulsed steadily, although the sensation was coming from his noseplates. And none of his systems were screaming at him in pain from lack of energon, so, even though his recognition and conscious acknowledgment of his systems wasn't correct, they were functioning as they should.

Untold cycles passed as he frantically, but systematically, tried to map his scrambled systems and get his chassis functional. He was vaguely worried, but also inordinately pleased, that he wasn't restrained in any way. Other than the systems malfunctions. Optimus can't help but think that Thundercracker's ego may have provided him with this opportunity.

It was the strangest sensation, to tense his lower back cabling to take a step forward with his right ped, then raise a headfin to step with the left. Making his tanks churn and opening the tank fill valve clenched and unclenched his servos. Through all this, he became able to interpret the view from his optics, noting that he was alone in a rather small, dilapidated metal building with a high roof. One end of the building was dominated by floor to ceiling rolling doors. He'd seen buildings like this before on human airfields.

Walking quietly never came easy to Optimus, and now it was even harder than ever, but if he had any hope of escaping, he needed to be able to at least run away. Unfortunately, his communications and subspace storage were both currently inaccessible. If he had to fight, it would be servo to servo grappling only. Not the best against seekers, but all he could do, assuming they hadn't just left him here.

Stumbling about the building for a while, he did eventually gain better control. He could perform fighting maneuvers, although quite erratically and not without a lot of twitching and jerking, his processors still trying to access his motor functions in the way they were originally intended, but he worked through it. At some point, he'd pretty much given up on understanding the mish-mash of sound assaulting his audio receptors. The only determination he'd made was that, if anything was going on out there, it was loud, but if not, it meant he was hearing silence as noise. Optimus had almost turned off his audios, but decided any potential warning was worth the extra annoyance.

Carefully he moved over to the doors, gently placing servos against them, gingerly sliding them apart wide enough to see through. A quick visual scan didn't reveal any bots in the immediate area, but he did spot what were likely to be two more broken down buildings, though these ones appeared to have collapsed on themselves. Slowly he opened the doors until he could slip through them, once more glancing around the area for either of his captors. Neither were anywhere to be seen.

There were more buildings to the left, so he headed in that direction, carefully assessing each as he passed it. Many were too small to hold the bots, even if they hadn't already been broken down. Optimus passed two of the larger buildings, peering inside but seeing nothing, before he stopped just outside the open doors of the third. From inside he heard strange, garbled noises, alternating from low to high frequency with no discernible pattern. Lowering himself down to one knee to be out of direct optic sight, he peeked around the edge of the door.

The two clones were inside, Slipstream standing, angled away from him slightly, facing what appeared to be some sort of screen. Optimus' optical distortions didn't really allow for him to see what was on the screens, but the vague shapes suggested that she might be in the middle of communicating with somebots. Thundercracker was off to the side, lounging on what appeared to be the smashed remains of vehicles. While the building wasn't quite as large as the one he'd been left in, it was still too big for him to sneak up on them. Not that he wanted to anyways. At this point, he'd rather know where they were and then escape. Since he had the where, all he needed now was the escape.

Optimus tried to slowly and quietly rise from his kneeling position, and he was making great progress, until it all went wrong. When he attempted to shift a stabilizing servo to keep from wobbling, his grapples fired. Luckily, he managed to aim them at Slipstream, latching onto her frame. Unfortunately, they drew attention to him.

"Slag." He muttered quietly, or at least that's what his processor informed him that he'd said. He still couldn't be certain his vocalizer was functioning at all.

Their lip plates opened and more garbled, random frequency noises reached his audios. Ignoring what he now recognized as his own distorted perception of their speech, he pulled on the grapple lines, dragging her forward as Thundercracker launched himself off his resting place. Optimus tried to flick the lines and throw her into him, or at least into his path, but she had gotten her stability back and pulled against him.

With no other choice, he charged Thundercracker, meeting him in a full chassis slam after a few strides. He barely managed to avoid being toppled by thrusting his shoulder into the seeker's cockpit, kicking out at the others legs in an attempt to flip him. It didn't do that, but the move provided him cover as Slipstream opened fire on them, only hitting her fellow clone in the backplates. Thundercracker slumped further over him as Optimus tried to think of a way to either retract or sever his grapples. At this point, he'd go for losing them temporarily to continuing in this compromised position.

Deciding to try to sever the grapples, Optimus wrapped the cords around the seekers sharp clawed servo as he pushed Thundercracker back at Slipstream, trying to knock them both down long enough to run. It worked a bit, the mech's frame knocking the her back, but neither went down, and when Optimus pulled the grapple cords, only one broke. Several blasts charred his armor as he charged once again, trying to get close enough to fight and keep their weapons from being fully effective.

Optimus scrabbled at Slipstream's frame, trying to find the grapple that was still attached to him. When his servo connected with something, he concentrated on gripping it and attempting to rip it off her, while kicking Thundercracker in his sensitive leg joints. What he eventually pulled free wasn't a grapple. Actually, without his vision working properly, he wasn't sure what it was, but the surge of Slipstream, knocking them back, told him that, whatever it was, it was either important or its removal had been painful.

_This isn't working. I'm in no shape to continue fighting two seekers._ Optimus thought dourly, shoving Thundercracker back as hard as he could manage. Pulling away, he noted his grapple flying towards his head. The one that was still attached to him. Slipstream had apparently removed it, but she was now closing in fast.

Backpedaling, he tried to duck behind a large object, but it barely slowed her down. She came around the obstacle, servo's already in motion, fisted and heading for him. Amazing even himself, Optimus managed to block quite a few blows before she connected solidly with his waist plates. The pain registered distortedly from his peds, but only for a moment as her next blow connected with his helm, his systems offline before he hit the floor.

* * *

So, yea, Optimus got into a bit of trouble. Oops. But on the plus side, that plot bunny has now been safely nommed and won't be biting me anymore.

**Sounddrive:** Yep, Skywarp is alive and a bit safer now. Yea, Bumblebee seems to have found a bit of maturity. Just a bit though. Perhaps Optimus should have stayed with Sari, huh? ;) Same day updates are fun. Thanks for another review!

**Wolf Prime: **Well, Dirt Boss isn't found yet. And, not quite just Optimus and Slipstream, but pretty close. Too bad Optimus wasn't really in any shape to start that fight, accident or not. :P Again, thank you my faithful reviewer! (- too sappy?)

**Optimus'girl:** Well, TC is all ego, and Slipstream is just Slipstream. No capture of the other clones just yet. In fact, reverse capture. :) But I think TC and Slipstream better be watchin' their backs around you. :D Glad to see another of your reviews. They make me smile. A lot.

**scrin99: **Actually there's a fic I've been reading where pretty much all of Cybertron isn't very nice to Sari. Not sure what I'll do though. Prolly some general 'organic freakout' but I haven't written that far ahead really. And I like to see there as having been a reason Sentinel and Optimus became friends in the first place.

**JZ Belexes:** Sentinel may be a jerk in the series, but there were a couple points he was sort of civil. Like I told scrin99, I like to think that there was something that drew them together as friends in the first place. In fact, I kind of see him as a bit bitter and lonely since Elita died and Optimus was sent away, and he hides that by being even more aloof and snappy.


	9. In Need Of Rescue?

Okay, so a bit of a wait for this one. Been a bit busy and haven't been able to get a lot of writing in.

* * *

**Chapter 9: In Need Of Rescue?**

.**  
**

When Optimus' systems onlined, very little had changed, except now he could feel the throbbing of badly dented plating. Everything was still scrambled, but now he was in stasis cuffs, or so he deduced when his attempts at moving failed. He'd been dragged out into the room where the seekers had been earlier, except now it was empty except for him. A glance at the screen revealed it to be dark and inactive. That was good. Perhaps. While it meant no one was watching him, it also meant there were no transmissions that could be traced by his team.

He let his processors wander while simultaneously keeping his systems alert for any chance at escape. First and foremost he wondered just how long he'd been here. The only thing he could tell from his current position was that it was now dark outside, where previously it had been midday. Apparently his systems had been offline for megacycles. Optimus' only real comfort was that by now his team must have realized he was missing and were probably searching for him. Yet, distressingly, he remembered that they had been flying pretty high and likely quite far.

Suddenly a thought occurred that froze his circuits. What if his team wasn't searching this far yet? What if the clones intended to take him to a Decepticon base somewhere at the galactic rim? An Elite Guard for three whole solar cycles and he was taken prisoner and likely to be tortured for information before being offlined or worse. He'd heard stories of captured bots being turned into pets by some of the more unusual 'Cons.

A new sound registered, and within moments the two seeker clones were back. But this time they were holding another form between them. Optimus' systems stalled for a moment as he tried desperately to identify if it was one of his teammates. The small bulky shape was dropped to the ground and one of the seekers, Slipstream he thought, bent down next to it, servos working quickly.

"Brawn?" He wanted to ask, but doubted he did given that the seekers didn't even seem to acknowledge anything had come from him. Optimus could only hope that the bot Slipstream appeared to be tearing apart _wasn't_ Brawn.

Abruptly Slipstream straightened up, holding something in her claws. When she finally lifted it to her optics for inspection, Optimus got a look at it. The soft glow suggested that the tiny object she now held was a shard of the AllSpark. Meaning the bot she had just torn apart and, inevitably, offlined, was Dirt Boss. Optimus found he didn't feel nearly as bad about that as he had when Fanzone announced that Mix Master and Scrapper were offlined. Dirt Boss just rubbed him the wrong way. Still, another AllSpark shard in the hands of Decepticons was bad.

Belatedly, he noticed Thundercracker at the console. Something appeared on the screen and Optimus tried to discern what it was. It wasn't long before he realized that the clones were communicating with someone, but he still couldn't get clear enough visual cues to determine who they were talking with. Since he couldn't hear the conversation, Optimus settled for trying to read their body language and determined that, whatever the conversation, the seekers weren't pleased.

With an angry flick of her wings, Slipstream stalked over next to him, null ray charging. She kicked his shoulder when she stopped, before turning her head to look at the screen and say something. Optimus watched as she pulled a small circular device out of subspace. It looked like some form of transmitter and Optimus became immediately suspicious that she had bought it and whatever device was scrambling his systems from Swindle. That thought immediately brought its own fear. Swindle carried some dangerous devices that he was willing to sell to the highest bidder no matter their faction. Optimus hoped he hadn't been promised AllSpark shards. The bots he could end up selling them to could to some utterly horrifying things with them.

Moments later, the device was dropped onto his chestplates. For a nanoklik, nothing seemed to happen, but then Optimus felt it. It was a coding bypass, designed to block the processor's access to whatever part of the frame it was placed on. The design had emerged under the heading of a medical device, to prevent malicious coding damage or open armor paneling when a patient either resisted or couldn't do it themselves. It had been ultimately used as an instrument of interrogation as well, by both Autobots and Decepticons. Although the Autobot use of it was generally not for hacking or harming the captured bots.

Optimus' plates snapped open, and Slipstream aimed the null ray without looking. Thundercracker openly stared at his spark though, and Optimus cringed. Even though he knew the truth, it was hard to convince his processors of it when others were staring at his spark. Slipstream glanced at it, and froze, staring as well. Optimus wished he could offline his optics as he remembered that bit of his past, including that fateful exam with Ratchet.

* * *

When he had emerged, the medics hadn't thought he'd live long. No one had ever seen a spark that looked faceted like his did, and this unknown spark defect couldn't be properly scanned, and any attempts to probe his spark were met with a strange physical resistance. When they pressed the small probe harder, it merely caused Optimus pain, so they'd advised his creators to simply enjoy the time they were given.

As he had grown up, Optimus never showed his spark to anyone. Even his creators didn't like to see it. To them, it was a painful reminder of how they had failed, how the life they had created was doomed to be extinguished far sooner than it should be. Never did they stop loving him, but his spark was that thing which was avoided at all costs.

Medics didn't understand it, so they had stopped taking Optimus to them for any sort of checkup, only allowing medics to treat him when he was injured, and never to perform spark exams. Even when he picked up a few viruses from interfacing, they denied the medics request for a full spark exam since they knew he hadn't sparked. Optimus sincerely doubted he ever would spark with another bot. During that time, he had felt very lonely and ashamed of his spark. He lost several lovers because he wouldn't spark with them, or even show his spark.

Optimus and his creators were amazed he even made it into his adult frame. His creators took it as a sign that his sparking hadn't been his curse. When he chose to enlist in the Autobot Academy, they hadn't objected, embracing his future, however long it may be. Thankfully, his entrance exam hadn't required a visual spark examination, so when the scanner returned no negative results, he was allowed in.

Truthfully, once Optimus was expelled, he lost all contact with his creators. Not that he blamed them really. But, perhaps, if they hadn't severed all contact, Optimus might have told them the truth.

It came when Ratchet was updating their records with their once a stellar cycle systems check. He had noticed the lack of an in-depth spark exam in Optimus' medical records, and in the middle of the systems check he had ordered Optimus to open his spark plates. Optimus had freaked, to say the least.

"_Ratchet, that's not really necessary. You can connect easily enough and get all the information you need from the systems diagnostics." Optimus practically pleaded._

"_You haven't had a proper spark examination, _ever!_" Ratchet shot back. "I'm your medic and I need to know what you're so desperate to hide from me."_

"_What makes you think I'm hiding anything?" Optimus asked, far too quickly, fear and stress causing his systems to react._

"_If I wasn't certain before, I am now." Ratchet told him, indicating the scanning device still attached to Optimus. "Open. Now."_

_Optimus had struggled to open his plates, torn between wanting to try to run for it, and knowing there was nowhere to run. Ratchet would find out and he would be completely discharged, losing his job and position of Prime. Finally they were opened, and Optimus saw the surprise on Ratchet's faceplates._

"_Please don't tell command." Optimus begged quietly. "I know a spark defect disqualifies me from service medically, but it doesn't cause any problems. Please, Ratchet."_

_Ratchet just stared at him for a long cycle and then asked, "who told you this is a spark defect?"_

_Optimus was stunned. "It's not? But…but all the medics…they didn't even think I'd survive to my adult frame." Optimus sputtered, shocked._

"_This isn't a spark defect." Ratchet told him, lightly tapping it with his finger. Strangely enough, it made a light chiming noise. "I suppose those sparkling medics never saw one before. Of course, even in my early stellar cycles as a medic they were rare. All but unheard of anymore."_

"_What is it, Ratchet?" Optimus asked, hopeful for the first time in his existence._

"_It's a spark defense." Ratchet informed him. "This kind was one of the rarest. A Crystal Reversion Matrix. Activates the instant your upper armor is opened or breached."_

"_So what does it do?" Optimus had never heard of such a thing, and it sounded rather fanciful. Then again, he supposed he was really quite lucky to end up with, probably, the only Autobot medic who had any understanding of this._

"_The Crystal Reversion Matrix type spark defenses will diffuse or deflect any energy that nears the spark." Ratchet told him, even going so far as to demonstrate with an old, and likely to be scrapped, laser scalpel. The beam hit the defense matrix and rebounded, slagging the scalpel itself._

"_Does that include…sparking?" Optimus' systems heated with embarrassment when he asked._

"_Yes, unless you learn to retract it." Ratchet vented noisily. "I suppose this means you've never had a complete open spark exam either." Optimus had a vague idea what he meant and found himself horrified. "Have you ever overloaded your spark?"_

The next megacycle was perhaps the most embarrassing Optimus had ever been through. First, Ratchet had helped him discover the coding to retract the matrix protection, then he proceeded to give him proper self-service and sparking instructions. The whole affair ended with Ratchet watching as Optimus overloaded his spark for the first time. While Ratchet had given him a clean systems check, he had still wished the floor could have eaten him after that and had a hard time even speaking with Ratchet for several decacycles. At least until Ratchet had pulled him aside, smacked him upside the helm, and told him to get over it, he was 'a slagging medic for Pit's sake' and it wasn't anything he hadn't seen in other bots' medical exams before.

* * *

He knew that even if Slipstream were to fire, point-blank, on his spark, he would not be offlined. Sure, it would hurt like slag, but the defense matrix would deflect at least a majority of the blast back at her while the rest was distributed through his frame. He would lose quite a few circuits in the process, but he wasn't in danger, unless she decided to ram something through it. Deflection of physical attacks wasn't the strong point of his particular spark defense.

A ringing lack of sound pulled Optimus out of his musings. The ground shook from the force of _something._ Bits of debris rained all around them, and Optimus watched as Slipstream abruptly jumped back from his exposed spark and opened fire on something just out of his visual range. Thundercracker joined her shortly, but both were knocked back quickly by a barrage of laser fire.

Optimus noted that when Slipstream fell, the AllSpark shard slipped from her grasp. When she tried to approach to grab it once again, another shot, a massive blast this time, threw her backwards even farther than before. He would have watched longer, to see what happened, but a recognizable shape filled his vision.

"Ratchet?" Optimus noticed that even Ratchet didn't appear to have heard anything, so Optimus could only figure he wasn't speaking at all.

Ratchet quickly and efficiently disabled the stasis cuffs, and Optimus immediately began to sit up, but Ratchet placed a servo on his shoulder, gently trying to push him back down. Jerkily, Optimus managed to shake his head and reached towards where he had seen the AllSpark shard fall. He couldn't let it be left behind. Ratchet only shook his head and pushed more insistently on Optimus, who resisted until another bot moved by Ratchet in the direction Optimus indicated. The size and shape of the bot could only belong to Arcee, who proceeded to search around until she found the shard, Optimus watching intently the whole time.

Once she secured the shard, Optimus relaxed some, only to feel something prick an energon line. He turned to see Ratchet withdraw a needle, and within nanokliks Optimus drifted off.

* * *

**a/n: **Okay, so in case you are wondering, this is my way of explaining something that bugged me about the series, mainly why it seems Optimus can take a blast to the chest and just get right back up again without serious damage. I mean, think about it. Ultra Magnus got taken out by Starscream, but Optimus gets blasted by the AllSpark and keeps fighting, is blasted by Megatron and just gets back up and defeats him. Meh. Minor detail I suppose. He is the hero. But I wanted a reason, so here it is. :)

**Wolf Prime: **Well, I suppose the torture is over now. :P And more detail on the devices later. I know, a bit evil...ish...meh. Gotta have something to look forward to finding out. Hope you enjoyed this chappy as well. Thanks for reviewing!

**scrin99:** XD LMAO Soundwave's 'special oil'. Gotta remember that one. And the bunny was mostly a concept rather than a fic so it really had no name other than 'that teal plot bunny with purple stripes and green polka-dots.' Thanks for the review! :D

**Optimus'girl:** I'd say your imagination is pretty good 'cause I hadn't actually written it as a kiss scene. But I wouldn't mind hearing how you saw it. :D And, well, maybe he wasn't in terrible danger after all? :P Sort of, maybe, but not really. Saved anyways! Thanks for another review!

**Sounddrive: **Well, every Autobot heard it. For as long as it transmitted. But of course, it's not quite as straightforward as it may seem. :D You'll find all of that out in the next chappy too. Thanks for another review!

**CherryBlossom713:** Well, a bit of troubles. ;) All safe now though. Thanks for reviewing!


	10. While You Were Gone

Oh, sad day. I never even noticed I spelled Ratchet wrong. Thanks for the mention, Autohumans. And when I went back and corrected it I added an outer office to Ultra Magnus' cause I noticed I'd missed/forgot it. Oops. Meh, now on with the story!

* * *

**Chapter 10: While You Were Gone**

.

The next time Optimus onlined, his systems were fully functional and he immediately recognized his surroundings as the medical bay on Omega Supreme. He wasn't entirely surprised by it, given his rescue by Ratchet, but he had expected Ratchet to be hovering to some degree. Instead, when he looked around, no other bots were to be seen. Briefly, he wondered if instead of getting better he'd simply gotten worse and could no longer see other bots, but his systems check informed him that the device had indeed been successfully removed. The area surrounding where the device had been jammed was numb, and Optimus realized Ratchet had probably had to surgically remove it so his parts would be sore for a while.

When he attempted to sit up, metal arms emerged from the walls and gently pushed him flat on his backplates again.

"You should not move until Ratchet clears you." Omega Supreme informed him, and Optimus relaxed his frame, knowing it would be useless to try to fight Omega Supreme on this matter. He would just end up pinned to the berth if he tried.

"Where are we?" Optimus asked, noticing that, even when he relaxed, Omega Supreme had left the arms in contact with his chassis, although not exerting pressure. Ratchet must have left him in charge of watching over him, which was a job Omega Supreme seemed to be taking very seriously.

"We have returned to your Earth base of operations." Omega Supreme's voice rumbled through the small space. "Ratchet and the others are briefing Cybertron."

Optimus nodded acknowledgement, knowing Omega Supreme's sensors would detect the movement, before he shifted his attention to examining his own frame. He noticed that the dents he was certain to have acquired in his fight were no longer visible, and only a few scratches remained visible. Several cords ran from dataports in his arm and from under his chest armor to the monitor consoles along the wall. The direct monitoring of his spark made him uneasy, and then he noticed the nanite infused energon feeding directly into a line in his shoulder.

"How long have I been out?" Optimus asked, concerned.

"1.32 megacycles." Omega Supreme answered him immediately.

Optimus frowned. That was not nearly long enough to need medical energon. "Then why am I being given medical energon? It's not necessary for such a short stasis."

"You were held captive for over three solar cycles." Omega Supreme told him softly. "Do you not remember?"

"WHAT!" Optimus would have sat straight up if Omega Supreme hadn't been restraining him. "Three solar cycles?"

"Optimus Prime please calm down." Omega Supreme commanded him gently.

"But how could it have been three solar cycles? I don't…" Optimus trailed off as his systems relaxed against his will, his processor becoming fuzzy. It took his clouded processor a moment to realize that Ratchet must have anticipated him becoming upset at some point and readied a sedative for Omega Supreme to use on him if necessary. The sedative wasn't enough to knock him offline, but the sluggish responses from his sensors indicated it would be difficult to move in this state.

"I apologize." Omega Supreme spoke up, "but you are to rest until Ratchet returns."

"I understand." Optimus managed to vocalize. "And I apologize as well. I did not react well." Although he had apologized, Omega Supreme did not let him up, not that he was surprised.

They stayed relatively silent for several cycles. Optimus had almost fallen into recharge when the door opened to admit Ratchet. He focused when Ratchet started speaking.

"I see you had to sedate him." Ratchet looked a bit grumpier than usual.

"I'm sorry Ratchet. I did not realize telling him how long he was held captive would upset him so much." Omega Supreme sounded a bit upset himself.

"Oh, it's alright. I wouldn't have prepared it for you if I hadn't intended you use it if necessary." Ratchet smiled a little and patted an arm that was still pinning Optimus as he walked up to the berth. "Although I had hoped you wouldn't make that necessary, Prime."

"I'm sorry." Optimus offered quietly.

"Hmph." Ratchet groused. "Can't say I wasn't entirely expecting it."

"Was I really there three solar cycles?" Optimus asked hesitantly. "I don't remember…I thought it was just one solar cycle."

Ratchet observed him thoughtfully for a moment. "Might need to check you for hacking."

Ratchet tapped his helm paneling at the base of his headfin, indicating he should open the scanning port there. Optimus carefully opened it, new concern entering his processor. He didn't like the thought of possibly being hacked, especially by those clones.

He tried to calm his rampant processor as Ratchet connected and began the scans. Ratchet was doing an in-depth coding scan which compared his current coding to Ratchet's last recorded scans. Likely, Ratchet had updated them while Optimus had been recovering in the Central Infirmary, so he wasn't likely to show updated code as hacking.

Optimus was also reminded of the fact that he would be undergoing detailed virus scans once he returned to Cybertron, and those he was not looking forward to. Virus scans carefully analyzed _every_ bit of coding and file within a bots processors before scanning through every wire and circuit in their frame, looking for potential addons and other virus tags. They were, at the very least, uncomfortable and invasive.

Several cycles later Ratchet finished his scans and disconnected. "No signs of hacking." Ratchet announced, and Optimus vented in relief. "But it looks like the Systems Scrambler had attached coding to knock out your external communications and confuse your chronometer."

"But, Ratchet, I onlined at midday, then Slipstream knocked my processors for a loop and I onlined again at nightfall!" Optimus was beginning to become upset again, struggling against the sedative and Omega Supreme. "How could that be three solar cycles?"

"Calm down." Ratchet ordered, placing his servos on Optimus' shoulders, pushing back when Optimus shifted up. "The discharge when the Scrambler was pushed into your frame was powerful enough to fry a good deal of your energy transfer circuitry before the surge protections engaged. It _would _have been strong enough to knock you offline for a two solar cycles. That hit to your processors is nothing to ignore either."

"Two solar cycles?" Optimus asked, fighting to calm himself. "How can you be that precise."

"Because you showed up while Slipstream was trying to _negotiate_ terms for your release." Ratchet told him.

"Wait, you were on the comm. then?" Optimus asked, a bit embarrassed that they had seen him in such a poor fight.

"Omega Supreme was showing the visual, but we weren't actively involved in the call." Ratchet informed him.

"But…" Optimus sifted through the horribly recorded memories. "There were two screens active…weren't there? If it wasn't you….Decepticons?"

"Yes, there were two screens, and no, the other bots weren't Decepticons. Your team was on one, and Ultra Magnus on the other." Ratchet informed him. "Now, I've got some circuits to replace."

Optimus felt his systems heat with embarrassment when Ratchet told him that Ultra Magnus had seen that. It was bad enough he'd gotten captured, but captured and then unable to free himself while his commander watched, that was even worse.

"How much did he see?" Optimus asked barely above a whisper.

"I suppose I should just tell you the whole story." Ratchet grumped, venting a sigh as he started opening Optimus' armor, using his EMP to block the pain signals from the circuitry he would be working on.

"That would be nice." Optimus responded, glad that Ratchet was offering instead of him finding out in bits and pieces later.

"Well, we all got the distress signal, and when it cut out we tried to figure out what direction you were last heading. Didn't take long to realize you'd been in the air, and when the humans in the area told your team they'd seen a jet grab you, well, it was pretty easy to figure out you'd been taken prisoner." Ratchet's optic enhancers slid into place as he spoke, leaning over the delicate work. "A megacycle later, your team got a recorded message with an image capture of you indicating that you were unharmed and would remain so if they turned over the remaining AllSpark bots."

"But we didn't have them." Optimus interjected, getting a glare from Ratchet.

"I'm telling the story here." Ratchet chastised him. "As I was saying, they sent the message. You were still in your Earth mode at that point, so very little damage was visible. Gave a frequency to respond on when we were ready to hand them over. We immediately contacted Cybertron and updated 'em on the situation. Ultra Magnus immediately had us contact them on a shared line. Basically told 'em we couldn't verify your condition unless you were transformed and wouldn't even consider the deal until then."

Optimus was fairly certain that he was going to be thoroughly embarrassed by the end of this briefing masquerading as a story. He couldn't imagine that Ultra Magnus wass very pleased with the whole situation and Optimus couldn't find a reason to blame him.

Ratchet paused as he retrieved more wiring and then continued, growling. "Slaggers could've offlined you forcing a transformation with this much damage to your energy systems. Be glad you weren't online for that." Ratchet stopped talking for a few nanokliks, a dark look on his faceplates. "Glitches then fragging _ordered_ us to go out and find Dirt Boss and Wreck-Gar."

Optimus thought that it was probably a good thing Omega Supreme had chased the seeker clones off instead of letting Ratchet go at them. He knew at some point he should probably review the footage as the Autobot Second in Command, but he wasn't sure he wanted to. He has seen forced transformations before, and watching his friends and comrades negotiate for him didn't sound appealing.

"Ultra Magnus ordered us to split up. Search for the AllSpark bots and continue our search and rescue attempts. We followed the trail of your distress signal and headed out in that direction. Omega Supreme set up several trace programs so that if we got into contact again we might be able to trace their signal. Didn't get anything until the middle of the next solar cycle." Ratchet moved from working on his torso circuits to his arms. Optimus wondered if Ratchet already replaced any near his spark since those were the most delicate and potentially dangerous to work on, especially when a bot was conscious and might move.

"That one started like the last. Demands for you, demands for the AllSpark bots. Claims that the AllSpark bots were missing." Ratchet wasn't looking up so he didn't see Optimus' look of surprise.

"Claims?" Optimus asked, curious now. _Did they find Wreck-Gar? I know they wouldn't have turned Dirt Boss over. They couldn't have. They knew what the clones would do to him._

"Oh, that's right. You wouldn't know. Before that contact, Bumblebee and Brawn found Wreck-Gar. Managed to convince him to go with 'em to the space bridge with promises he would get to explore the galaxy. And likely spread garbage. He was sent to Cybertron as quickly as possible." Ratchet did glance up at him for a moment as he added, "he should be safe for now. Likely will get to 'explore the galaxy' in some sort of protective custody."

Optimus relaxed the cables he hadn't even realized he had tensed.

"Now, where was I?" Ratchet rhetorically asked. "That's right. We got another call from 'em. After exchanging 'pleasantries' you interrupted with that grapple stunt. For a moment we all though you'd managed to get free and were going to yell at you for being a glitched aft and going after the seekers yourself, but it became obvious pretty quick you were barely in control of your own chassis. They cut the feed pretty quickly after that. Red Alert and I agreed that it was likely a Systems Scrambler." Abruptly Ratchet straightened up and glared pointedly at him. "You should've known better than to fight like that. Systems Scramblers aren't commonly used, even by Decepticons, because they tend to de-stabilize sparks, especially when a bot fights it."

A shudder ran down Optimus' frame. He hadn't known that. Autobot Academy didn't really cover contraband items. Maybe it should, just so a bot knew what to do if one was used on them.

"I didn't know that." Optimus closed his optics. "Did I…was my spark…?"

"It was unstable, but not critically so. Still, it was a delicate operation to remove the Scrambler without fully de-stabilizing your spark." Ratchet went back to fixing him. "And now you know. Really should teach bots about these things."

After a cycle of silence, Optimus quietly prompted Ratchet to continue. "So you saw a bit of the fight…"

A grunt, then, "Omega Supreme couldn't trace the signal back completely to its source, but we got a better idea of where you might be. We carefully staked out the area. In the middle of the night the seekers appeared in our tracking radius. Couldn't follow 'em without tipping 'em off, so we laid in wait." Ratchet moved to work on his other arm, venting a soft sigh. "Took nearly a solar cycle to catch their signals again. Omega Supreme followed as close as he could back to their base. Caught their last transmission and used it to track 'em to an exact building."

Optimus considered that for a moment. "They found out about Wreck-Gar, didn't they?"

Ratchet nodded, carefully shifting the last of Optimus' armor back into place. "Don't know exactly how, but they got enough information to realize we'd already found and secured him."

"And that's when they…" Optimus trailed off.

"Threatened to blast your spark?" Ratchet finished the sentence. "Yep. She's lucky she didn't actually try."

"How many bots saw?" _And how slagged am I?_ He wondered.

"You don't need to worry about being kicked outta the Guard." Ratchet told him. "Ultra Magnus' been around long enough to know about spark defenses. The team, on the other servo, probably won't let up about it until you explain."

That wasn't something he was looking forward to.

* * *

**Wolf Prime: **Glad you liked it, and yep, OP got better. To answer your question, no, Slipstream never intended on forcing a sparkmerge. She was merely threatening to shoot him directly in the spark which she thought would be a good way to get Wreck-Gar. Too bad he was already gone and OP isn't killed easily that way. :P Thanks for the review!

**Optimus'girl:** Just FYI, the Crystal Reversion Matrix is more like a shield around his spark, not a characteristic of his spark itself. Since it deflects energy he has to be able to retract it to be intimate. It'll probably come up more in the fic. Rescued OP is good. Thanks for another review!

**Sounddrive:** LOL I suppose he has been out of it a bit much, but it was necessary to fix OP. Won't be happening again (at least for a while methinks.) Glad you liked my plot hole filler. :D And the Dinobots are still online. Since they aren't powered by AllSpark shards they are relatively safe. And since they like Dinobot Island, they'll stay there for the time being. Thanks for the review!

**scrin99:** Glad you liked my plot hole filler too. And I like my nice rabbit hole. It has many many furry critters to entertain me...except when they start biting. :D Thanks for another review!


	11. How Not to Smooth Things Over

Ah, sorry this took so long. Got a few papers due in my classes and worked almost the whole week. Blegh. Anyways, finally got this chappy done. Kinda a bit more random plot bunny assimilating into this one too. :\ And I had to go back and make some tense corrections in previous chapters. Hopefully I got it all now.

* * *

**Chapter 11: How Not to Smooth Things Over**

.

_Starscream._

The name lanced through Optimus' processor, bringing his defenses online almost instantaneously. He was in a defensive crouch, battle mask in place and axe out before his processors even completed their boot sequence. When they did, he offlined his optics and then onlined them, the scene not changing.

He was crouched in front of the monitors where Red Alert stood, watching him, as were the other bots on the screen. His systems heated with embarrassment when he remembered why he was there in the first place and realized he had fallen into recharge while sitting in front of the monitors.

Ratchet had released him from Omega Supreme's med bay and told him to go rest. When he entered their base he discovered that no one was there, all others being out searching for the two escaped clones. And because no one was there, he had self-assigned himself monitor duty. It was resting to a degree after all, but not leaving them unmonitored at the same time. Although, he wasn't setting a good example by falling into recharge and allowing Red Alert to not only enter the base without his knowledge, but take a comm. call while he was right there without him waking.

Ultra Magnus and Cliffjumper were on one screen, sitting at a table in what appeared to be a conference room. Perceptor and Alpha Trion were on the other split screen, likely in the council chamber. All of their optics were on him. Optimus put his axe away and straightened up, fans kicking on lightly, trying to cool his embarrassment. He largely couldn't tell what any of the bots watching him were thinking. At least he didn't see anything like blatant disapproval or annoyance with his reaction.

"Sir." He offered a quick salute to Ultra Magnus and a nod to the other bots.

"Our apologies, Optimus Prime." Alpha Trion spoke serenely. "We did not intend wake you. Especially so suddenly."

"No apologies necessary." Optimus assured him, feeling even more embarrassment than he though possible at the revelation that they meant to let him recharge while they talked. "I should be apologizing. I shouldn't have allowed myself to fall into recharge while on duty."

He would have said more but Red Alert interrupted him. "You aren't supposed to be on duty." She leveled a glare at him. "You are to be resting in your room, not attempting to stay on duty despite _both_ your medics orders."

Optimus wasn't sure this whole situation could get any worse. And then it did.

"Return to your room." Red Alert instructed, sounding very much like he was a disobedient sparkling, even going so far as to point in the way. Mortification didn't entirely cover what Optimus felt.

Ultra Magnus made a small noise with his vocalizer, almost like a human cough, drawing their attention to him.

"Actually, it would be best if Optimus remained for now. The information we have received is important to all of you and it is necessary he be aware of it." Ultra Magnus spoke, authority tinting his tone. "Several scouts have reported sightings of two Decepticon seekers heading in the direction of current known Decepticon strongholds. Image captures of the seekers match the mass and visual description of Starscream's clones, Slipstream and Thundercracker."

Optimus was surprised they left so quickly. He doubted that the Decepticon forces would accept the clones into their midst so easily, and even if he didn't like them, Optimus didn't believe they were stupid. Surely they had to know that going to stake a claim in the ranks of the Decepticons was a bad idea.

"We will continue to monitor their movements." Cliffjumper informed them. "And I will be sending an agent to Earth to keep watch for potential future Decepticon activity. AllSpark energy is still high there."

"Is our team to wait until the agent arrives?" Optimus asked, shifting a bit to ease the stiffness and ache in his chassis. Obviously, the position he'd ended up in while recharging wasn't very conducive to healing.

He noticed Ultra frown a bit before he answered. "Yes. The transfer will occur at 9am Earth time. Arrangements have already been made with Professor Sumdac."

Optimus then realized that Red Alert had also been studying him. Apparently his discomfort was showing.

"I believe that is all." Red Alert stated, clearly wishing to end the call and send him to his berth to recharge.

"It is." Ultra Magnus confirmed with a slight nod. "Cybertron out."

As soon as the screen went dark, Red Alert practically started pushing Optimus towards his room. He vented softly but didn't try to fight her. After all, he probably wouldn't have much success anyways. She likely would disable him and drag him to his room. Once inside she prodded him one last time.

"You will recharge until this planet's day cycle." Red Alert instructed him firmly.

"I don't need that much recharge." Optimus protested, feeling a little bit patronized.

"Yes, you do." Red Alert told him firmly. "Your systems were not running at peak capacity before your capture, and the Systems Scrambler did not help. You need to recharge and let your systems return to normal functioning."

With a hard vent, Optimus settled himself onto his berth. Red Alert remained standing where she was, arms crossed over her chestplates, and Optimus realized that she intended to stay until he went into recharge to make sure he recharged. Grumbling a bit under his venting, Optimus tried to force his systems to ease into recharge. It took several nanokliks longer than it should have, but finally, he fell into a deep recharge.

* * *

An insistent poking at his shoulder plating brought Optimus out of recharge. Ratchet stood beside him, scanning Optimus as he waited for his systems to fully boot.

"Ratchet, is it time to leave?" Optimus asked.

Ratchet glared at him and Optimus flinched. Obviously Ratchet wasn't in the mood to be forgiving about Optimus not entirely obeying his orders.

"I told you to rest and you go sit in front of those slagging monitors. You're lucky these welds are only stressed." Ratchet seethed, tapping the repair welds on his chassis. "And yes, it's morning. Now that you're up you can get going."

Belatedly Optimus remembered that Ratchet wasn't officially a part of his team for this mission.

"Are you three staying longer on Earth?" Optimus asked.

"We haven't gotten to see everything yet, so yes, we are." Ratchet told him. "Now, put it in gear, Prime. I want to get back to my vacation."

"And Arcee." Optimus teased. Ratchet huffed and left the room. Optimus smirked as he sat up. Ratchet hadn't denied it.

Immediately Optimus noticed that the welds were tender as he moved, and he grimaced to himself. Stressed welds were worse than broken ones. They were far tenderer and took longer to heal because the metal had to reset on its own. Shifting off the berth, Optimus was glad to note that the stressed welds were the only painful spots on his frame.

When Optimus entered the common room, all optics shifted to him. It took all of his control not to turn around and walk back out. He noticed Ratchet was still there, standing with Arcee near Red Alert. He guessed that they had been talking prior to his entrance.

"Oh, hey boss." Bulkhead greeted him normally enough.

"Good morning, Bulkhead. Is everyone prepared to leave?" Optimus tried for nonchalant. Hopefully he could avoid the awkward questions about his spark. Varying affirmatives were given from each bot.

"Hey boss bot, why didn't you tell us about your spark defense thingy?" Bumblebee asked with all the tact of a train wreck.

Optimus barely refrained from groaning.

"Yea, I mean, it's pretty cool." Bulkhead chimed in before his face suddenly fell. "It's not because…you don't trust us, is it?"

"No, it's not that, Bulkhead." Optimus answered, raising his servos in a placating gesture. "To be honest, I didn't know what it really was until Ratchet explained it to me."

"Surely you visited medics as a sparkling. How could they not have noticed? A spark defense such as yours is not easily missed." Red Alert looked chagrined at the mere thought a medic wouldn't spot such a thing. "And why didn't the Academy medics explain it to you?"

"Well…when I was a sparkling…the medics…we didn't visit many after my first few stellar cycles." Optimus admitted, staring at his peds. "They were all convinced it was a spark defect, so my creators…they didn't want me constantly being prodded by confused medics."

"But how'd you get through the Academy systems check without a spark exam?" Hot Shot was practically bursting with curiosity and confusion.

"Uh…" Optimus' systems heated with embarrassment and a bit of shame. "I told them I'd had one recently." He shifted awkwardly. "I didn't want to be disqualified by a spark defect."

"No way!" Bumblebee was staring at him with wide-opticed awe. "You got out of it that easy?"

Optimus dared to glance at the others at this point, and noticed sheer surprise on Bulkhead's faceplates, which wasn't really all that surprising of the gentle mech. Ironhide and Hot Shot also looked a bit surprised, and possibly impressed, while Brawn just looked thoughtful. Arcee had a small frown, but it was Red Alert and Ratchet that made Optimus shrink back a bit. They both looked furious, or as furious as Red Alert ever seemed to look.

"You mean to tell me that you never had regular sparkling checkups?" Ratchet's voice was ominously calm.

"I didn't catch many viruses, and my creators made sure to take me to the infirmary for any injuries they couldn't take care of themselves." Optimus assured them, although it seemed to have the opposite effect.

"They took you to the infirmary for injuries, but not viruses?" Now Ratchet sounded thoroughly outraged, his servos clenched.

"Divedown worked as a secondary coding assistant before bonding to Iceblaze. He was more than capable of firewalling the ones I…" Optimus didn't even get to finish before exclamations of shock cut him off. He startled, staring at them dumbly for a moment. "What?"

"They firewalled the viruses?" Bulkhead asked, a shocked look on his faceplates.

"Of course. What else would…" Again Optimus was cut off.

"They should have taken you to the medic to have the viruses properly purged." Ratchet seethed. "How many viruses have you firewalled yourself, Prime?"

"I…uh…that's…" Optimus blustered for a moment.

"How many?" Ratchet repeated, vocals dropping in pitch.

"I've only had two that..." This solar cycled apparently wasn't one he was allowed to complete his sentences.

"We're going back to Cybertron. Now." Red Alert stalked over, grabbing him by the arm. "You will be going in for your scan first. Firewalled viruses can become dangerous the longer they are left unpurged."

Optimus was unceremoniously dragged outside, Red Alert prodding him into transforming before practically herding him towards Sumdac Tower, the others trailing behind. Somehow Optimus ended up feeling like an unruly sparkling the way they were hovering about, keeping him on a straight path.

"So boss…does that mean you're a virgin?" Bumblebee asked suddenly, without preamble.

Optimus swerved sharply, "Bumblebee!"

"Whoa…you really are." Bumblebee murmured. "Wouldn'a guessed that."

Optimus was really starting to wish he had stayed in recharge. As if this solar cycle hadn't started humiliatingly enough, now his interfacing status, or lack thereof, was out.

Thankfully the rest of the drive to Sumdac Tower was silent. Optimus noticed, as they made their way to the spacebridge at the top, that Ratchet and Arcee were still with them.

"I thought you were staying longer." Optimus mentioned, trying to pry his arm out of Red Alert's vice like grip.

"We are." Ratchet answered grumpily.

"We thought we would see you off before returning to our vacation." Arcee informed him calmly.

"Oh." It was all Optimus could process to say at the moment.

When they reached the roof Sari and Professor Sumdac were already there, but Red Alert practically dragged Optimus to the lift before he could speak with either of them. Bulkhead went to the controls without prompting, followed by Sari, and together they quickly began the start sequence for the spacebridge. Optimus didn't hear what was said when Bulkhead opened a communications relay to Cybertron, but within a cycle Sari was giving the go ahead to Red Alert who promptly pulled Optimus through the spacebridge with her.

Optimus barely kept his footing when they landed on the other side as Red Alert once more began pulling him along with her to fast for Optimus to even thank the bots who opened the bridge for them.

"Slow down." Optimus tried to command her, but she just ignored him. "Red Alert. There is no need to drag me like a sparkling! Please slow down."

"You potentially have several mutated viruses in your systems." Red Alert informed him coolly. "While you show no symptoms, this is potentially a medical emergency. Your coding could be greatly damaged."

In cycles less than usual they reached Autobot Command, heading immediately for the infirmary. Optimus was slightly surprised she hadn't dragged him to the Central Infirmary, but then reasoned that because the infirmary at Autobot Command was already set up for full virus scans there was no need. He was feeling overwhelmed as he was rushed into a room full of medical equipment and pushed rather forcefully onto the berth there, Red Alert speaking rapidly to the other medics in technical jargon that Optimus wasn't following.

At the mention of his firewalled viruses, one of the medics gasped, and all of them turned horrified looks on him. He shifted awkwardly under their scrutiny, even more so when they heard how he'd firewalled two viruses himself.

As his helm ports were prodded open, Optimus tensed, waiting for the inevitable stinging, burning pain of the virus scan. Instead, abruptly, his entire chassis went numb.

"What…?" Optimus blinked in confusion. The medics had never done that before.

"You've never had your pain receptors disabled for a virus scan before?" An unfamiliar, frowning femme asked him.

Optimus would have shaken his head, but the other medics were already starting to connect data cables to his exposed processors.

"No." Optimus answered quietly.

"It's standard procedure." Another mostly red mech spoke up. "A lot of bots find the scan quite uncomfortable."

This was the first Optimus had heard of any such standard procedure. He wondered if it had become standard after he was expelled. Whatever the cause, he was grateful for it now.

"You should recharge." Yet another medic told him. "The scan can be performed just as well while you are in recharge, and you are in need of rest."

Optimus acknowledged the suggestion by offlining his optics and trying to tune out the noise of so many medics working around him. He felt the surge of the scanners in his processors and tried to ignore it. The invasion was almost harder to ignore without pain to focus on, but ever so slowly, Optimus sank into recharge.

* * *

**Autohumans:** Yep, I got it now. :) Thanks for reading and reviewing.

**Wolf Prime:** lol explanations gone bad. :P Sorta. Optimus is one sore and tired bot being bullied. :) Glad you liked the chappy. Hmm...who knows...OP might end up fighting Slipstream alone sometime. Thanks for the review!

**CherryBlossom713:** lol fun. Well, more embarrassing and getting him into trouble with medics. Teehee. Thanks for the review!

**Sounddrive:** Yes, my story...which explains the mounting insanity. :P Wreck-Gar liiiiiives! I like Wreck-Gar. Optimus and explaining just seems to get him into a lot of trouble. :P Glad you liked it. Thanks for the review!

**Optimus'girl:** Optimus is safe...except from medics. :P And sorry to disappoint, but Dirt Boss was the bot they got. :( But, nope, no more AllSparked bots in the city. Just the clones and Wreck-Gar left now. Glad you keep liking it. Hopefully it will stay interesting to you. Thanks for another review!

**scrin99:** LOL Smart Grimlock would be interesting. And veeeery dangerous. *eyes flamethrower*...you missed one, but thanks for trying. :) Sorry the chapter took so long. And thanks for the review!

**JZ Belexes:** Thanks for pointing that out. I had hoped I'd corrected it all before posting. Blergh. It's what I get for reading other fics while writing I guess. Please be sure to comment on it or any other goofiness in the future.


	12. What Comes Around

Again, sorry about it taking longer...at least longer than it did when I started. I'm writing as I go now so it probably will stay closer to this pace than when I first started posting. But I will keep writing as much as I can.

* * *

**Chapter 12: What Comes Around**

.

Optimus woke up in a quiet room unfamiliar to him. Several nanokliks passed before he realized he was likely in a private recovery room in the Autobot Infirmary. He was slightly put off to realize he must have recharged through the whole move. Lately he seemed to be recharging through too much outside activity. He wondered if he needed a sensor adjustment.

The door opened and the lavender and white femme medic from before entered.

"Ah, good. You're awake." She smiled at him.

"How long have I been in recharge?" Optimus asked.

"Nearly a full solar cycle, sir." She answered, still smiling, pulling a cube of energon from her subspace. "Red Alert will be coming by shortly. Please fuel and wait here for her."

Optimus took the cube silently, aghast that he could have recharged so long. He didn't think his injuries were that severe that he needed so much rest. The femme left before he could thank her or ask her name. Optimus drank the medical energon slowly, trying to occupy himself while he waited. As comfortable as medical berths were meant to be, it was no fun just sitting there with nothing to occupy a bots processors.

As he sat there, Optimus noticed that his processors seemed a bit different. He must have had a code adjustment because their functioning was now slightly different than what he was used to, but he couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was. Red Alert would undoubtedly explain to him what had been changed. And probably snap at him some more.

Red Alert arrived several cycles after Optimus had finished the cube of energon. The first thing Optimus noticed was that she wasn't glaring at him. That was promising. He just hoped it would last the conversation they were undoubtedly about to have.

"You are lucky. The sparkling viruses had adapted and upgraded themselves. The firewalls wouldn't have kept them in for more than a stellar cycle." Red Alert began, fixing a calm and unwavering stare on him. "Those viruses had been pushing the firewalls out and forcing your processors to adapt their coding to reinitialize programs and processes damaged by the viruses. The ones you firewalled yourself had not mutated severely enough yet to be damaging."

"So is that why my processors feel…different?" Optimus asked. "Because the firewalls aren't encroaching anymore?"

"Your processor functions have been restored to what they should be, all programs running through their original intended coding. Perceptor himself fixed the damage when he and Ultra Magnus stopped in for an update." Red Alert informed him as she prodded the still healing welds.

"Why was Perceptor here for an update?" Optimus asked confused as to why a councilbot would be interested in his status when it had been far from critical.

"He was in a meeting with Ultra Magnus when he received word that we returned and you were in Medical with potentially dangerous viruses. Given Shockwave's virus activities, he accompanied the Magnus to offer his skills should they be needed." Red Alert answered, connecting a datapad and downloading his most recent systems status.

"Do you know how many bots were affected?" Optimus queried, recalling that he hadn't been updated on that particular incident yet.

"No. You will undoubtedly be told when you meet with Ultra Magnus after I clear you." Red Alert disconnected the datapad. "Your systems are back to acceptable functionality. Although you are restricted to half shifts until the end of the decacycle."

"That's not necessary!" Optimus snapped.

"While your injuries are not severe, your systems indicated a lack of proper recharge prior to your capture and stasis is no substitute." Red Alert leveled a disapproving look at him. "It is clear you were not taking proper care of your health, something I noted in my report to the Magnus. He is supporting the restriction."

Optimus vented hard to calm himself. Those few nights of missed recharge had come back to haunt him, but with Ultra Magnus on Red Alert's side he likely wasn't going to get her overruled. Optimus slid off the berth.

"Am I cleared to see Ultra Magnus now?" He asked, keeping as much of the frustration out of his voice as possible.

"Yes." Red Alert answered before turning and leaving the room.

Optimus left the room and headed down the short hallway to the main medical bay. There were only two other bots there besides medical personnel, one recharging on a berth, the other standing just inside the main doors. He was holding a metal cube, looking rather uncertain of himself. Optimus casually approached the mech.

"Is there something you require help with?" Optimus asked him, eyeing the light blue metal of the cube. It looked vaguely familiar in color, but the black smashed in with it was strange. It didn't look like a storage container he'd ever seen before.

"Sir!" The mech exclaimed, straightening up a bit. "Well, I was cleaning the waste disposal level when I found this and…well…it…I think…I mean I wanted to be sure…" The mech paused, venting deeply, looking at the floor. Optimus realized that this mech was a cadet since they were the ones assigned the task of cleaning the waste disposal areas as a form of discipline. "I think…there's a spark…" He trailed off and turned the cube so that Optimus could look through a gap in the metal.

Sure enough, inside was the faint pulsing glow all bots associated with a spark. Optimus' optics went wide. That cube was possibly the remains of a bot who actually survived being crushed.

"Medic!" Optimus shouted, directing the other mech to one of the berths, letting him gently lay the cube on it. A medic hurried over to them. "There appears to be a spark in there."

The medic gasped and peered into the cube, immediately motioning to the other medics nearby while starting to hook monitoring equipment up. As Optimus and the other mech were pushed back, the spark monitors registered the weak pulse of a spark within the cube.

"Get a spark containment unit!"

"Prepare for immediate spark removal!"

"Notify Central we have a severe damage emergency situation!"

"We need to get started! Now!"

The medics shouted to each other, the medical bay becoming a flurry of activity in nanokliks, Optimus and the other mech ending up pressed against the wall to keep from being tripped on. An unfamiliar medic approached them.

"Thank you for bringing him to us." The medic addressed the unknown mech. "He may likely survive because of you." The medic then turned to Optimus. "It will be a while before there is any real information available. We will be sure the Magnus is informed as soon as we know anything."

"Understood. Thank you." Optimus responded, gently guiding the other mech out the doors, but when he turned to address the mech they were interrupted.

"Optimus Prime, sir, there you are." Bluestreak hurried towards them. "I was told you were heading to the Magnus' office, but you didn't show up when I calculated you should have so I came to look for you. Is everything alright, sir? What's happening in there? Seems to be a lot of activity all of a sudden. But you can tell me on the way to Ultra Magnus since he's expecting you and you really don't want to be late."

"Everything is fine, Bluestreak." Optimus told him, noticing that the other mech had taken the opportunity to leave. He was obviously going to have to get used to other bots not hanging around him for long given his new status. He had wanted to commend the mech and find out his name, but Optimus decided he would have to find the mech again later. "Just an unexpected development."

Bluestreak fidgeted as they started walking before he nervously asked, "it wasn't you, was it? I mean I thought that you were all fixed now. Something didn't go wrong did it? That would be…"

"No, it wasn't me." Optimus interrupted, assuring Bluestreak.

They walked in silence for a while, encountering very few bots. Optimus glanced at Bluestreak, a bit worried about his silence. The bot seemed genuinely concerned about him. He noticed that Bluestreak seemed to be thinking quite hard.

"Is something on your mind Bluestreak?" He asked quietly.

Bluestreak jumped, clearly startled. "No sir, I was just thinking and…" Bluestreak cut himself off, pressing his lip plates together.

Optimus realized that, likely, somebot had told him he talked too much and to just shut up. He found that, as annoying as constant talkers could be sometimes, he didn't like the idea of Bluestreak forcing himself to be quiet.

"I worked with Bumblebee, you know." Optimus told him, casually.

"Yes, I know that, sir." Bluestreak gave him an odd look.

Optimus vented a sigh.

"What I meant is that I don't mind if you talk. You don't have to try to keep quiet around me." Optimus told him. "Bumblebee talks a lot. Somebots do."

"But sir, what if you're trying to think and need quiet? I talk almost constantly and most bots find it rather annoying and I don't want you to be upset with me. Sentinel hated it when I talked and was always telling me to shut up and I don't want you to be mad at me all the time too, but I guess I shouldn't have mentioned Sentinel and I'm sorry sir." Bluestreak blurted out, keeping his optics glued firmly on the floor.

"It's alright." Optimus assured him even as he felt a now familiar stab of pain at the mention of his friend. "I'm not going to yell at you for talking. If I need you to be quiet I'll tell you." A smile quirked his lip plates. "Besides, I'll never be behind on the latest news with you around."

"I…sir…I…thank you?" Bluestreak sounded embarrassed and unsure.

Optimus chuckled lightly. It seemed Bluestreak wasn't used to bots who didn't mind his chatter. He would have said more, but by then they had arrived at Ultra Magnus' office. They proceeded through the outer doors, Bluestreak stepping over to Ultra's secretarybot who waved Optimus through the inner doors immediately.

Stepping in, Optimus was no less intimidated and overwhelmed by the sheer size of the office than the first time. The windowless walls practically gleamed and the vaulted ceiling gave the place an air of infinite size. Ultra Magnus sat behind his desk, studying one of the many datapads before him, somehow not dwarfed by the monstrous room.

"Ultra Magnus, sir?" Optimus announced his presence.

"Optimus." Ultra Magnus greeted him, motioning him towards the chairs in front of his desk. "I believe I told you to call me Ultra."

"I was under the impression that this was an official meeting." Optimus responded, carefully taking a seat in front of his commander.

"Even so, you may still call me Ultra." Ultra told him, sitting back in his own chair. "The only exception would be formal diplomatic functions." Optimus nodded and Ultra continued. "I received Red Alert's report."

Optimus shifted his gaze to the desk, embarrassed. "I'm…" Optimus trailed off, unsure of what, if anything, to say.

"Her report indicates that you had not properly recharged for several solar cycles." Ultra's voice softened. "Perhaps I pushed you into this too soon. I apologize Optimus."

"No, it wasn't this!" Optimus blurted out, optics snapping up to meet Ultras as he realized that Ultra had misinterpreted the information and laid the blame on himself. "I just…had a lot to process."

"I understand. You were informed of your shift restrictions." Ultra not so subtly reinforced.

"Yes." Optimus acknowledged, realizing that it was only four solar cycles until the end of the decacycle, a relatively short restriction. "Have all Elite Guards been cleared of viruses? Do we know Shockwave's intent?"

"Yes, all virus scans are now complete. The pattern of infection became clear quickly, but all personnel were scanned just to be certain." Ultra pulled out a datapad and handed it to Optimus. It was a list of Elite Guards who had viruses with Shockwave's coding in them.

" 'Only experienced Guard members, either directly in line for or capable of taking the Magnus' office were infected.' " Optimus read, "the most serious viruses were found in the Primes that stood between his office and you." Optimus looked up at Ultra who nodded gravely.

"Undoubtedly his plan was to take the office of Magnus while remaining undiscovered." Ultra concluded, "but even with his discovery, the viruses would have destroyed a great deal of the command structure. A crippling blow to our forces."

"Were all the viruses removed? Was there any permanent damage?" Optimus asked.

Ultra nodded. "Once the base virus was identified they were removed effectively without permanent damage."

"Cliffjumper said that Shockwave didn't design the virus." Optimus remembered aloud. "Do we know who did?"

"We have identified the virus as one that was created during the Great War by a Decepticon, Codemaster. Shockwave modified it specifically for each bot, so the effects would remain unnoticed." Ultra told him. "You will find a full report on your desk, as well as the latest intelligence on the seeker clones."

"Thank you, Ultra." Optimus stood up, realizing that he was being dismissed.

"Remember to report to Red Alert at the end of the decacycle." Ultra instructed him.

"Yes sir." Optimus responded, saluting before turning and exiting the office. Apparently there was doubt about his ability to take care of his health still and Ultra wanted to be certain he was in good working order before having medical clear him. He supposed, after everything that had happened and he'd done, he deserved it. But in his defense, the viruses were simply ignorance which, he realized, was precisely why those around him were being this over concerned.

Together, he and Bluestreak walked back to Optimus' office, just down the hall, Bluestreak chattering merrily the whole way. Upon entering his office, Optimus was greeted by a, likely small, stack of datapads. With a bit of a smile, Optimus sat down and began to work.

* * *

I seem to love to practically twist the plot a little more in every chapter, don't I? Oh, well, it satisfies some of the nicer plot bunnies. I'll try to keep the uber evil ones in their cages, or use that nice flamethrower on them. :P And, finally, one evil plot explained. :P Took a while to get back to that, ne?

**Wolf Prime:** Interesting idea. Perhaps a different story sometime. I'm not wanting to be that evil to Optimus in this story. :P Well, not in his own processors. Some of the lurking plot bunny ideas might be a little less-nice than others. Thanks for another review! Watch those medics...

**Optimus'girl:** Wow...two reviews. Didn't know you could do that. ;) Yes, plot bunnies can be very evil, but I'm trying to keep the most evil contained. As for Optimus' creators...dunno...I haven't really decided which may have been his carrier. And, while Optimus isn't a sparkling anymore, medics do get a bit fussy about untreated medical problems. Firewalled viruses are dangerous because they're still there. Instead of being removed, like they should, they're still in the processor and active, so they can change as time goes on and become mutated and dangerous. None escaped though. Bee was a bit forward. :P Thanks again for the reviews. Hope you liked.

**Sounddrive:** Yea, Ratchet's not real great about keeping his liking Arcee a secret. :P Course, he's liked her for so long...well. And, yes, the most dangerous bots...are the MEDICS! :P 'Cause they're evilly nice...o_O Thanks for the review!

**scrin99:** So true. :D Thanks for reviewing!


	13. The Rhythm of Life

I know, a long(ish) time...again. I'm thinking that, with everything else I need to be doing, updates will probably end up being more of a weekly thing. :\

* * *

**Chapter 13: The Rhythm of Life**

.

Two solar cycles later, Optimus was actually enjoying himself more than he had thought he would. The half shifts were a bit of a hassle, reporting to Headquarters to try and make a dent in the growing stacks of datapads, only to have to leave too soon, but the time off was nice. He had even been going into recharge early and taking short stasis naps whenever he felt like it.

He had taken the time to clean and organize his apartment, recycling those old datapads that were still usable, and giving away the ones that would benefit other students. Optimus had even gone so far as to reorganize what little furniture he had in his rooms, trying to make everything just a bit fresher, a bit different, and mostly, to give him something to do. Once he'd done all that, he had begun to research recent events on Cybertron. Mostly because he wanted to see a theater production, something he hadn't done in a long time, only to discover he had no idea what was currently playing.

In those searches, Optimus had discovered an exorbitant number of groups dedicated to Sari, himself, and his teammates. He found himself looking through most of the ones aimed at his team and Sari, taking particular interest in those that were not so much hero worship as stalking, pro-Decepticon, and in the case of Sari, anti-organic. Some of the groups that were anti-organic were scary angry over even a techno-organic's presence on Cybertron.

By that second solar cycle, Optimus had flagged seven groups as potential threats to his teammates, five as borderline, and close to fifteen that needed some monitoring. A quick chat with Cliffjumper assured him that somebot, likely an entry level intelligence bot, would keep an eye on those 'organizations.'

Optimus' chronometer sent out an alert, informing him that he needed to leave if he wanted to meet Bumblebee and Bulkhead on time. They wanted to get together at a small evening club before they left on their assignment, and given Optimus' abundance of free time, he had no reason to deny that request. Not that he would have anyway, but Bumblebee had hinted that when he complained Optimus worked too much.

He carefully closed up his rooms, and locked the door before heading for the stairs. Since his apartment was only on the second floor, Optimus preferred to walk down the stairs over riding the lift. His building had a small lobby area on the main floor which, sometime before his return, had been transformed into a bit of a communal sitting area. Apparently the long disused communal areas on several of the other floors had been fixed up as well, if the new directory markings were any indication. Still, Optimus had yet to go to any of them, even the 'roof garden' which was proudly marked with a large placard underneath the old directory.

Optimus really had meant to visit them but got so caught up in his research that he put it off. Seeing the directory again reminded him that he really should go see what all was in it. Likely it was merely a small sitting area with a few sculptures, but that was more than many buildings this inexpensive had. Belatedly he wondered if his payments had gone up.

Stepping onto the street, Optimus was greeted with a lively scene. There were far more bots around than he was used to. Many of them had showed up since his return to Cybertron and he had no doubt that they were fanbots who wanted the prestige of saying they lived in his neighborhood. Good thing the outer doors of his building were resident-specific so, even though they had no doorbot, the only bots who could get in were residents or had to be with a resident. At least the population of his building hadn't soared. That he noticed.

Whispers, stares, and pointing followed him down the street, even after he transformed. It wasn't until he approached the shopping district that he was able to blend in. Even so, bots noticed him, his Earth mode not helping him hide in a crowd very well. Of course, on the other servo, Optimus realized that going anywhere with Bulkhead and Bumblebee was like walking around with an energy beacon on.

The evening club, called Rotation, was a lot higher class than Optimus had realized. The low-slung two tiered establishment was painted dark burgundy with chrome accents and carefully arranged amber lighting. Above tinted glass doors sat a sign, spelling the name of the club in gently shifting colors. Optimus almost balked. Places such as these were never ones he frequented. Mostly because, even as a student, he'd never had the credits to even get in the doors much less afford the energon blends they made here.

Finally, after nearly a cycle of simply staring at the building, Optimus managed to slowly make his way closer. Several bots were standing in line outside the main doors, obviously waiting to get in. He would have simply gone to the end of the relatively short line, but one of the doormechs spotted him, waving him forward.

"Optimus Prime, your group is already inside. Please come in." The mech had quite the laid back attitude for a doormech.

"Thank you." Optimus offered quietly as he slipped through the doors.

"No prob. Just doin' my job." The mech flashed a large grin before shutting the doors behind Optimus.

When he turned around, Optimus was faced with an interior more extravagant than the exterior. The burgundy walls sparkled with gold and silver metal flakes, artfully carved pillars and molding glittered with mixed chrome and gold on a background of midnight black. Low walls separated the tables, each of which was illuminated by a low hanging pendant light. Recessed settings gave of a mixture of blue white and amber light, providing almost minimal light.

Just as the line suggested, the place was packed with bots, but even so Bumblebee and Bulkhead weren't hard to spot given that most bots were at least glancing in their direction if not outright staring. Optimus carefully threaded his way through the other tables to the centrally located table. He was surprised to discover that Sari was also there, seated on the table instead of in a chair since none were made to fit her properly.

"Oh, hey boss-bot." Bulkhead greeted him. "We brought Sari with us, and we haven't gotten anything yet."

"You didn't have to wait for me." Optimus told him.

"It's more fun when everyone is eating together." Sari spoke up. "Besides, we didn't get here that long ago."

"So what'll you have, Prime?" Bumblebee asked as Optimus sat down.

"I haven't even looked at the menu yet, Bumblebee." Optimus told him, smiling a bit at his familiar impatience. "You can order if you're ready though."

"Alright!" Bumblebee bounced excitedly until Sari glared at him. "I mean, I can wait."

Optimus quickly activated the holo-menu at the center of the table, scanning the quite extensive list of energon blends and accompanying snacks. Most of the blends were varieties he'd never even tasted much less heard of. After a cycle of deliberation while Bumblebee fidgeted in his chair, Optimus selected one of the less obscenely expensive blends, keying his order into the small data-terminal.

Bumblebee immediately jumped forward and keyed in his order second. Sari and Bulkhead keyed in their orders after in a far more organized manner. Once they had, Optimus broke the silence.

"You know you could have spent more time on Earth if you had wanted to, Sari." Optimus told her.

"I know. But I had three days with my dad. And besides, there's a lot to see here." Sari responded casually. "I really want to see more of Cybertron and other planets. Dad was pretty envious of me but he's so caught up in his work he doesn't really have time to come along."

"I could try to get him clearance to come to Cybertron some time if you'd like." Optimus offered.

"I'll have to pry dad away from his work first." Sari responded.

"So what have you been up to, boss?" Bumblebee asked.

"Well, I've been working, and I cleaned my apartment. I found some odd group pages devoted to some of us." Optimus answered.

"Oh, you mean like 'Bee in My Berth' and 'Not Sari I'm So Small'?" Sari asked, wrinkling her nose a bit. "Yea, I've seen them too. Some of them are kinda gross."

"Shouldn't be a problem for us. We'll be off planet after all." Bumblebee added. "It's the ones after Sari that I'm worried about."

"I'll be fine Bee." Sari told him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just because I'm small doesn't mean I can't take care of myself."

"And I'll be here to keep an optic on her." Optimus reassured. "And on those groups."

"You really need to get out more boss-bot." Bulkhead commented.

"Yea. You coulda gone out racing, or to a vid showing, or anywhere but just sitting in your rooms these past solar cycles." Bumblebee chimed in.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a racing model. While I enjoy it occasionally, I'm not really the type to frequent tracks. And I did look into theater productions. That's how I found those pages." Optimus retorted, not liking how they assumed he meant to just stay in his apartment the whole time. He hadn't. He had just gotten distracted and not made it out.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure he gets out while you're gone." Sari promised Bulkhead and Bumblebee.

Their energon arrived before Optimus could properly protest that comment. He wasn't a reclusebot. Slowly he took a sip of his energon. It was an upper mid-grade energon with powdered axiom crystal with a light layering of metal filings on the top. He found the mix was rather nice. Smooth with a tiny bit of an added crunch when he got some of the filings. Not a bad choice for his first attempt Optimus decided.

Bumblebee was purring almost obscenely over his drink, some sort of high-grade blend with crystal bits and mixed liberally with infused minerals. Bulkhead looked pleased with his simple mid-grade with added metal flakes. Sari on the other servo was still looking a bit unsure about whether or not to actually try the small cube in front of her. Optimus hadn't noticed what she had chosen, but he didn't see any added metal flake, so likely it was pretty plain.

"You should probably drink that in bot mode." Optimus offered. "Unless you've tried it as a human."

Sari shook her head. "It's not safe for humans to drink. But how do I know it won't hurt me in my bot mode?"

"Bots are meant to drink energon Sari." Bulkhead told her. "It shouldn't hurt you."

"You don't have to drink it Sari." Bumblebee assured her.

Abruptly she picked it up and took a small sip. They all watched her intently, ready to jump into action and take her to the nearest medic if she showed any signs of discomfort.

Her optics went wide and she gasped, "that's…actually pretty good."

Optimus, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee all relaxed. Sari lifted the cube again and took a long drink.

"So are you two ready to leave yet?" Optimus asked Bulkhead and Bumblebee.

"Sure boss. All packed and ready to meet the transport next solar cycle for launch preparation." Bulkhead answered.

"I'm always ready to go." Bumblebee added smugly.

Optimus just smiled and shook his head at the typical answer.

XXXXX

The rest of the evening had been filled with idle conversation about current happenings, the future, and suggestions of places for Sari to go see. Optimus really hadn't had much more than his single cube while Bumblebee had ended up quite overcharged and Bulkhead had to practically carry him out and home. Sari had been less-than stable so Optimus escorted her to the apartment she had been given. It was his first time there, and Optimus had to approve, not only of the neighborhood but also of the building and the apartment in general.

The building was located in a very nice neighborhood, complete with its own security station, and had the latest energy recognition locks on the main doors. Her apartment consisted of a large sitting area with a vid screen, an office, and a berthroom with an attached washrack that even had an optional soaking tub.

After dropping Sari off, Optimus headed back to his apartment, but instead of heading directly to his room, Optimus took the opportunity to go to the roof garden. Upon arriving, he was quite surprised to discover that it was quite large and well developed. Many massive metal sculptures divided the garden into sections, some with lounge chairs near moderate sized crystal growths, while other alcoves contained tables and chairs. Obviously this was meant as a picnic and relaxation area.

Optimus wandered the garden until he turned a corner and walked into an alcove that was already occupied.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize there was someone here." Optimus apologized as he started to back out.

"It's alright." The charcoal, orange, and gold mech responded, sitting up. "You're Optimus Prime, right?"

"Yes, I am." Optimus answered hoping that this wasn't another fanbot.

"I'm Smoulder. I live in the apartment just across the hall." Smoulder told him with a smile. "And no, I'm not a fanbot."

Optimus chuckled. "Was it that obvious?"

"Just a bit." Smoulder answered.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to assume." Optimus told him.

"It's alright. With all the bots mobbing you when you go out, it's kind of expected." Smoulder responded as he stood. "I was about to head back. Are you staying?"

"No, not really." Optimus answered. "I hadn't been up here before. I didn't intend to stay."

"Well then, we can walk back together." Smoulder smiled, walking up next to him. "As nice as this building is, I really haven't met many neighbors."

"Neither have I." Optimus admitted, turning to walk alongside the mech noting that they were similar in height, Smoulder being slightly taller. "What do you do?"

"I'm in the 5th District Fire Brigade." Smoulder told him. "Pretty good work."

"A noble profession." Optimus commented. "The Fire Brigades do good work."

"Thank you." Smoulder said, looking down. "But I could say the same of the Elite Guard."

It was Optimus' turn to be embarrassed. "Thank you also."

They reached their doors after a moment of awkward silence.

"It was nice to meet you, Smoulder." Optimus said in farewell, opening his door.

"As you, Optimus." Smoulder told him, opening his door and stepping in.

Optimus let his door closed, a small feeling of accomplishment flooding his systems. He hadn't really ever met any of his neighbors when he was in the academy, but now he had. And Smoulder seemed like a friendly bot who would be a good neighbor.

* * *

**scrin99:** Thanks for the review. And as for Codemaster...well...who knows? :P A bit more Sari in this chapter. Maybe more of her in other chapters as well. *hands plot bunnies* :D

**Wolf Prime:** Well, I like the idea...not writing it at this time though. Gotta keep focused! *focus focus* Less work, more fun, and thanks for the review.

**Optimus'girl:** Well, Shockwave's just evil like that. :P And I kind of figure that the head of each department is a Prime, so are team commanders (like Rodimus), and other base/ship commanders are Primes. Optimus is virus free and enjoying himself a bit. *gasp* Thanks for another review. No Ratchet/Arcee yet...but I will in some chapter sometime. :D

**Sounddrive:** Well, it will sure take a lot of work to put Blurr back into working order. Not really going to detail that probably. Thanks for the review.

**JZ Belexes:** I also like that perspective in some stories, but for this one I decided to go with more of a view of: sparkmerges share the soul, and continual sharing will lead to a bond but not immediately because I am also fond of the idea of sparkmerges leaving something behind. It's not an action two bots take as casually as interfacing, and then the first is a test, to see if they are truly the bot they act like. And when two bots merge, if one is hiding a jealous personality, the other will discover it, but may absorb a bit of their jealous nature and may want to find a laid-back, gracious bot to counteract that. And as for Blurr, I just rescued him. He never went grey like the other bots did when they died, and there were sketches of how his spark could have survived in the box, therefore I reject the idea that he died from the crushing. So Blurr is in the story because I said so, although I don't plan on him having a big role. Thanks for the review.


	14. The New and Obvious

So, another update. Shorter this time, but that happens. More Sari though!

* * *

**Chapter 14: The New and Obvious**

.

Optimus stood at the Dolrailer Spaceport, watching as the ship carrying Bumblebee and Bulkhead to their assignment lifted off. It was truly a bittersweet moment. He was happy for them, finally achieving something they had dreamt of, like him, but also sad that they were leaving. Not that he'd admit it openly, but he'd grown to enjoy their company.

Sari hovered next to him, a small sigh escaping her. She would most certainly miss them greatly, after all they were her best friends.

"Do you think they'll be safe?" Sari asked quietly. The team consisted of four science bots and five Elite Guard mechs as security.

"With luck, they will be. Bulkhead and Bumblebee aren't helpless." Optimus responded. He had personally spoken with each scientist and looked over the service records of the Guard mechs, making sure they understood and were capable of handling Decepticon activity. He only hoped it was enough. If a big enough force opposed them, they would likely be captured or offlined, but Optimus refused to process those scenarios.

Sari gently landed on Optimus' shoulder, flopping down into a sitting position. Optimus looked over, meeting her sad optics. From now on, he would have to be the one to be there for her, whether cheering her up or explaining Cybertronian culture. He wouldn't play video games with her though. He never had been any good, nor did he see the fun in them.

"There's a small, out of the way energon café not too far from here. Would you like to go there and fuel?" Optimus asked.

"Sure." Sari agreed, settling a bit more comfortably on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately." Optimus offered, trying to make conversation. "What have you been up to, besides sight seeing?"

"Well, I've gone to a few movies…or vid showings. Weird name. Anyways, they were pretty interesting. Even the older one. Some of the syntax was a bit hard to follow though." Sari told him as he turned a corner onto a side street, winding through the few bots that were out in this district. Most were travelers being this close to the spaceport.

"You mean you don't have any trouble understanding older Cybertronian dialects?" Optimus asked a bit surprised. He had studied some of the older dialects and found them complicated and a rather confusing at times.

Sari nodded as Optimus walked through the doors to the café.

"Yea, I think I know why too." Sari told him excitedly.

The café host spotted them instantly, his optics going wide. "Optimus Prime! Welcome to Energon Escape. Do you have a preference in seating?" The hosts servos were practically shaking as he attempted to remain entirely professional, the excited gleam in his optics belying that image.

Optimus nodded, "somewhere slightly out of the way would be nice."

"Of course, sir." The host moved smoothly away. "If you'll follow me please." The host mech then led them to a table area tucked slightly into a corner near the energon preparation area. While it wouldn't shield them entirely from prying optics, it would give them the slight guise of privacy Optimius had asked for.

"Thank you." Optimus said as he gently settled into the chair facing most of the dining area, Sari flying off his shoulder to land on the table.

"I apologize that we do not have any seating to accommodate you." The host mech apologized to Sari.

"It's alright. I know there aren't many bots my size around, except sparklings." Sari told him.

"I do not wish to be insulting," the host mech said wringing his servos, "but if you do not wish to have to be seated on the table you might request a sparkling seat. I know you are not, but it would fit your frame and allow you to be seated…"

"I hadn't thought of that." Sari admitted, thinking for a moment. "I'd like to try it this time." She finally decided, not entirely liking the idea of having to use a child-bots booster seat, but she didn't want to always have to sit on the table, and sitting in Optimus', or any other bots lap, unless a date, was just too awkward.

The host mech scurried off, returning a cycle later with a sparkling seat. He placed the, rather hard looking block, on the seat beside Optimus. Sari eyed it cautiously. Even in bot mode she wasn't into sitting on extremely hard objects for long periods of time.

"It forms to your shape when you sit on it." The mech told her quietly. "I have deactivated the restraint beams for your use."

"Really? Thank you." Sari said, carefully flying over and settling onto the block. It was made of a soft metal that did form to her when she settled fully onto it. "This is much nicer than just sitting on the table."

"You are most welcome." The host mech said with a smile on his face. "Please order whenever you are ready and a bot will bring you your energon." He tapped a control on the end of the table and a small panel slid back in the center, the menu and ordering screens appearing.

As they scanned the options on the menu, Optimus steered the conversation back to the original topic.

"So you figured out how you know so many things?" He selected a relatively simple blended energon with no additives from the list.

"Yea, I mean, I think I did." Sari told him, optics lighting up. "I figured that, when I upgraded myself with my key, it did more than just upgrade me, it downloaded itself into me. I mean, I can't fix you guys like it did, but when I touch a damaged bot I instantly know what's wrong and how to fix it. Same thing with other things, it's just like, I need to do it and BAM, I know how to."

Optimus considered that for a moment. It actually made a lot of sense. The key hadn't worked after Sari used it, but suddenly she knew more than could be explained in any other way.

"That does make sense." Optimus agreed. "And you can understand all Cybertronian as well?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's not like I'm translating it in my head either." Sari answered, selecting something from the menu. "It's like I've understood it my whole life, like I just know it without needing to think about it. I wish it had helped when the AllSpark and I were talking. I still don't understand all of what we were talking about."

"You…you spoke with the AllSpark?" Optimus asked, surprised. This was the first time Sari had mentioned that.

"Well, yea. The first time I saw it we had some sort of conversation I think. It was mostly images. Then a couple of other times." Sari responded. "It got even harder to understand when Prowl and Jazz put it back together, but I think I got some of what it was trying to say. Maybe."

"You might be…the AllSpark's Speaker." Optimus told her quietly.

"What does that mean?" Sari asked, tilting her head to the side a bit.

A serverbot approached with their energon and Optimus waited until she left before answering. "It means you are the one who can tell us what the AllSpark wants. Very few are able to communicate with the AllSpark more than once."

Sari frowned. "How can I be the AllSpark Speaker when, half the time, I don't understand it?"

"If you'd like, I could help you try to figure it out." Optimus offered feeling a bit excited. There hadn't been an AllSpark Speaker since the Great War, and Optimus had never thought he would be in direct contact with one. AllSpark Speakers were revered in a way close to that of the AllSpark itself.

Their lengthy discussion about the possible meaning of the images the AllSpark showed Sari was cut short by a call from Bluestreak.

"Sir? Are you alright? You were scheduled to be here nearly ten cycles ago and I know you were watching Bumblebee and Bulkhead take off, but that was nearly a megacycle ago and I got concerned that something may have happened." Bluestreak's opening commentary was laced with worry.

Optimus vented a gentle sigh. Bluestreak was his secretarybot now and was supposed to know where he was at almost all times, but he seemed to have taken it to spark to be more involved than the average secretarybot. Bluestreak seemed to feel it was his personal mission to keep track of Optimus and worry about him. He liked to personally make sure Optimus went to his appointments, that he fueled on time, left directly at the end of his shift, questioned him on his recharge, and even had developed a habit of asking about his health. Granted, Bluestreak was a talker so these subjects were more likely to come up, but he was, as Sari would call it, mother-henning Optimus.

"I'm fine Bluestreak. Sari and I stopped for energon after the departure and got caught up in talking. I'll be on my way in a cycle or two." Optimus assured him, casting an apologetic look at Sari. This solar cycle was the end of his half-shifts and he hoped to take on full shifts from now on, but he was kind of wishing he could have more time with Sari. Closing the connection he turned his full attention back to Sari. "I'm sorry I can't help you longer."

"I know, I know, you have to go to work." Sari sighed.

"I can stop by your place later if you'd like." Optimus offered as he stood.

"Don't worry about it." Sari told him, shaking her head as she also stood up. "I was planning on heading to the observatory today and I don't really know how long I'll be there."

Optimus nodded reluctantly, moving towards the door with her flying by his side. "Alright. But if you ever want to talk, comm. me."

"I'll be fine." Sari assured him. "I might even be making a friend, so I won't be quite so lonely."

"That's good." Optimus told her, a bit of relief entering his spark. He had worried that he would be her only friend here and fail her because he was too busy.

Together they made their way out the door, Optimus having long since paid for their energon. Once outside, Sari hugged Optimus around the neck as best she could. Optimus pressed his servo to her back in return.

"Well," she said cheerily, "I'll see you around!" Waving she took off down the street.

Optimus smiled to himself as he transformed and headed for Autobot Command.

* * *

**Optimus'girl:** Yes, I think Optimus is probably my favorite as well. :D And Smoulder, well...I had to think a bit, and that's what I came up with. I wanted the name to kinda fit a firebot, so that's why the name and colorings. :D Nice neighborbot. Thanks for the review!

**Sounddrive:** Yep, Sari is okay with energon in her bot form. I'm gonna stick with the idea that it's not so good for humans though. Being techno-organic it probably won't hurt her either way, but still. Thanks for the review! Glad you liked it.

**Wolf Prime:** Well, the whole thing is inevitably going to be Optimus centric, but there will be more chapters with his 'past.' :D It's kinda the plot bunny that bit me. Not terribly dark methinks (or hopes) but we'll see when I write it. Glad you're still enjoying it. Thanks for another review!

**scrin99:** Yea, sorry about the waits. I have Friday mornings pretty much completely free to write...when I'm not staring at the screen...gotta sew too so my hands are doing double duty. :) And even more Sari! w00t! She'll probably be appearing quite a bit in the future. Thanks for the review!

**MandaMelon:** I'm glad you're really x a lot enjoying this fic. I'm trying to keep it interesting but not too wham bam in your face. :P Yes, I rescued Blurr from his cube. The Almanac said I could. :P And I wanted to. I like Blurr too. Hope you keep enjoying this. Thanks for the review!

**Standout4Christ:** Nope, no slash with bots he just met. Prolly some romance (mechxmech cause they're gendered sexless bots to me) later, but it'll be clean. :) Not so much of Sari's 'beginnings' 'cause her dad did tell her how it happened, but as with this chapter, more about what it might mean for her future. Thanks for the review!


	15. The Hunt

Aaaand another update. :)

* * *

**Chapter 15: The Hunt**

.

Almost a decacycle later Optimus, Ultra Magnus, Jazz, and several other Elite Guard were boarding the Steelhaven on an urgent mission. Five stellar cycles ago intelligence agents had spotted the seeker clones again, obviously damaged, and flying towards more neutral territory. Their last trajectory had them on course for the organic cluster planets of Orga, Duke, and Vector. It appeared that, as Optimus had suspected, the other Decepticons did not accept the clones. Either that or Thundercracker had gotten on their nerves so much that they had lashed out. Whatever the cause, Ultra Magnus had decided to head a team to capture them, or at the very least, try to reclaim the stolen sparkshards.

Intelligence hadn't been able to provide any solid evidence that the seekers had the shards, but neither could they produce any suggesting the seeker clones had turned the shards over to either other Decepticons, Swindle, or any other bots. They were, therefore, hopeful that the clones did indeed still have those shards.

Optimus had spoken with Ultra Magnus about Sari's potential to be the AllSpark Speaker and he had agreed that Sari should be the one to place the shards in the AllSpark when they were retrieved. He had actually meant to take Sari to the AllSpark before the end of the decacycle, but given its semi-unstable nature and Optimus' workload, the timing had always been wrong it seemed.

Jazz took the helm of the Steelhaven while Optimus and Ultra Magnus stood overseeing their departure. The team that had joined them was comprised of bots that Optimus was only vaguely familiar with, some only by reputation, two of whom were now stationed at the consoles arcing in the front of the command deck.

"Leavin' Cybertron." Jazz reported. "Settin' in coordinates for spacebridge Theta Eight. ETA twelve cycles."

"Understood." Ultra Magnus indicated, taking his seat.

Optimus remained standing beside Ultra Magnus' chair even though he wasn't vital at this point. He was still a sub-commander and on duty after all.

* * *

The cycles passed slowly with nothing particular to occupy his processor, and soon Optimus found himself fighting hard not to fidget. They had jumped as close to the organic planets as they could, and now they were proceeding cautiously. Until they actually found the seekers and, probably, engaged them in battle, Optimus could only watch and wait.

Their plan was to search all three planets simultaneously so that, if the seekers chose to run, they couldn't simply bounce from planet to planet, avoiding the Elite Guard. Jazz was leading a team down to Orga, Ultra Magnus was leading the team to Vector, and Optimus was to be leading the team down to Duke. They would have the advantage of coordination given that the planets were within comm. range of each other, and could notify not only the other teams, but also the Steelhaven if the seekers were spotted on the ground or leaving the atmosphere.

"We're now within shuttle range, sir." One of the mechs, Steelroad, announced.

"Assemble in the shuttle bay/hangar." Ultra Magnus commanded on an open comm.. Volley's of 'yes sir's' answered, a few mechs immediately showing up on the command deck to take over ship operations.

Together they made their way down to the hangar/shuttle bay, each going to their respective shuttles. Optimus was teamed up with Chargeup and Gungrey, two excellent guardsmechs. He found himself a bit self conscious, being aware of the facts that, for one, this was his first official Elite Guard mission, and for another, these two mechs had been lower ranking Academy students while he was there and when he had been expelled. He wasn't entirely sure what to think of them or what they thought of him.

"Preparing for launch." Chargeup informed him, settling in at the flight control panel.

Optimus settled in at the sensor control, while Gungrey easily slid into place at the tactical station. The silence that settled over them wasn't particularly tense, but it also wasn't completely relaxed either. Thankfully it didn't take that long to reach Duke, and there were no signs of detection nor was there any interference.

Duke was a surprisingly clean organic planet. While covered in a thick, almost tangible green mist the planet was otherwise quite plain. The ground was mostly formed of rock-like structures and soil, few plants visible, at least anywhere near their landing zone. Scans had suggested there was organic plant life in other locations on this planet though.

"Alright. We split up, but if you see or detect any Decepticon presence comm. in immediately." Optimus told the others. "The two clones, Thundercracker and Slipstream, aren't pushovers."

Chargeup andGungrey simply and professionally accepted his orders, splitting off in opposite directions. They had mapped out search patterns while en-route, so no other explanations were necessary. Optimus quickly folded down into his truck form and set out on his own set course. In the back of his processor he found himself hoping for a rematch with at least one of the clones.

Optimus was just over halfway through his search pattern when he picked up a faint signal. Dampening his own signal as much as possible, he slowly made his way closer. When he got within visual range of the signal origin he froze. A massive canyon yawned before him, the darkness making the mist even thicker seeming than before. But the signal was stronger than before and definitely registering as Decepticon.

Optimus quietly called in to his team. "I have located a possible Decepticon signal. It looks like it could be a trap."

"Sir, you should wait for us." Gungrey responded immediately. "If it's a trap, three are better odds than one."

"I agree. Standing by for your arrival." Optimus confirmed. If both the clones were on this planet springing any trap by himself would be asking for a repeat of their last encounter. Optimus proceeded to call Ultra Magnus. "Sir, I have located a possible Decepticon signal. There is a possibility that it is a trap. I am waiting for reinforcements before I proceed."

"Understood. Update me as soon as possible and be careful." Ultra responded.

"I will sir. Optimus out." Optimus quickly disconnected and settled himself in more of a hidden location to wait for his team. The others were potentially as far as a megacycle's travel away from his current location.

Unfortunately for Optimus, Slipstream showed up before the megacycle was up. Optimus tried to stay as hidden as possible to follow her instead of engaging, but she had already spotted him.

"Autobot!" She snarled, the cover around Optimus practically vaporizing under the fury of her null rays.

Optimus dove out from behind his cover, snapping his battle mask up and pulling out his battle axe as he went. Since he was in no position to comm. his team properly, Optimus sent out a short distress ping, hoping that the others were close enough to offer some assistance. Slipstream launched herself off the ground and Optimus fired his grapplers, this time properly able to move, and swung her into the cliff face. His small victory didn't last very long as she took off again, this time with far more force, pulling Optimus into the air with her.

Rather than letting go, Optimus kept his grapplers attached. He wasn't about to let her go and get away with the AllSpark shards again. She almost immediately dived sharply back towards the ground and then back up, trying to whip Optimus into the hard surface. Instead, he managed to get his peds under him enough to land harshly, feeling the gears in his lower joints grind at the impact. He tried to brace himself and stop her, but he was pulled along the ground instead.

"You interfering pit-spawned glitch!" Slipstream cursed at him, turning to rush him, null rays blazing.

Optimus dodged most, deflecting a few others with his axe before she slammed into him, driving him into the hard earth beneath them. Axe in one servo, he sliced at her wings while blocking her attempts to scratch out his optics with his other servo. Instead, her claws raked down his arm repeatedly, scratching and digging into his armor. He began to doubt he would come out of this encounter without any leaks.

"This is all your fault. Everything would have been perfect if it wasn't for you!" She hissed and Optimus twitched away, her mouth far too close to his headfins for comfort.

She got past his defenses and slammed a fist into his chestplates, denting them, but not severely enough to be spark threatening. Her move allowed Optimus the leverage to bury his axe in her wing drawing a pained shriek from her vocalizer. He barely forced her wrist away in time to stop the point blank shot from her null ray from blasting his head from his shoulders. Irritation lanced through Optimus as he realized that, while he was in a good position to get her into stasis cuffs, he couldn't get them out of his subspace without giving her an opening to do severe damage.

A blast flung Slipstream off of Optimus, startling him for a moment. Glancing over, he spotted Gungrey, blaster out and charging for another shot. Quickly he refocused his attention on the seeker clone, noticing that, while she was down, she wasn't disabled yet. Pulling out a set of stasis cuffs, he snapped one side on even as she kicked him away, but that was enough to allow Gungrey to get down to her and get the other cuff on, locking her into place.

As he pushed himself off the ground a servo appeared in front of Optimus. He looked up to see Chargeup standing above him.

"Are you alright, sir?" Chargeup asked, concerned optics sweeping Optimus' frame, cataloguing injuries.

"I'm fine." Optimus answered, curtailing the disbelieving looks by adding, "it's mostly cosmetic."

"You should still let us take care of those leaks." Chargeup told him.

"What…oh." Optimus was momentarily confused until he glanced down at the arm Slipstream had clawed. Energon was slowly dripping from it which wasn't terribly surprising. Still, he hadn't noticed.

"Maybe you should sit down sir." Chargeup suggested, putting a servo on his shoulder, his and Gungrey's concerned optics flicking to the dent in Optimus' chestplates. Clearly they thought the injury severe enough to cause shock.

"It's not spark threatening." Optimus tried to assure them.

"With all due respect, sir, your systems may not be registering the extent of the injury." Gungrey told him.

Venting a soft sigh, Optimus sat as Chargeup pulled out a med kit. While he knew that the dent wasn't severe, clearly they weren't going to take his word for it. Then again, he also knew that he would probably be doing the same in their position.

"Have either of you updated Ultra Magnus on the situation?" Optimus asked internally berating himself for not doing that as soon as Slipstream was in stasis cuffs.

"Our last communication was on our way to your location when you sent out a distress signal." Gungrey answered.

Optimus nodded, opening a comm. link. "Optimus to Ultra Magnus. We have secured Slipstream."

"Good work, Optimus." Ultra responded immediately. "Jazz's team engaged Thundercracker but he managed to escape, though he was heavily damaged. Jazz's team sustained minor damage and are en route to the Steelhaven as we speak. My team is inbound to your location and can pick up Slipstream for transport if you wish."

"Thank you, sir. That would be appreciated." Optimus said, relieved that they wouldn't have to carry her back to their shuttle.

"We should arrive in two cycles." Ultra informed him before closing the link.

"Ultra Magnus' shuttle is inbound. His team will transport Slipstream back to the Steelhaven." Optimus informed the others, glancing at Slipstream long enough to meet her glare.

Gungrey began disarming her and emptying her subspace while Chargeup continued to apply small patches to the now exposed and leaking energon lines in Optimus' arm. Optimus found himself slightly surprised at just how many had been nicked or sliced in the assault. None of the sliced lines had been very big, but left unattended could become dangerous in a few solar cycles.

"Sir!' Gungrey exclaimed drawing Optimus' attention. "I've found the AllSpark shards!"

Slipstream looked downright deadly as Gungrey carried them over to Optimus who vented softly in relief. He had been bracing himself unconsciously for disappointment.

"Good work." Optimus praised, taking the shards from his servos, holding them gently. These were the last shards they could retrieve without offlining anybot.

Ultra's shuttle landed nearby before Chargeup had completely finished patching his lines. While Gungrey and the other two mechs worked on loading Slipstream into the shuttle, Ultra approached Optimus, optics flickering over his damaged frame.

"You will be returning with us as well, Optimus." Ultra commanded as Chargeup closed the armor of Optimus' arm.

"Yes sir." Optimus responded, standing. He fought a hiss as pain signals rushed in from his lower joints, the earlier impact now becoming painful. "We retrieved the last two AllSpark shards."

Ultra took them from Optimus' servo just as gently as Optimus had from Gungrey.

"Good work." Ultra smiled before becoming serious again. "Are you functional enough to walk or do you require assistance?"

"I can make it." Optimus told him stubbornly.

They made their way over to the shuttle, Optimus aware that they were moving much slower than usual because of him. Given that he could walk, he knew none of his joints were broken, but he knew he would be lying to himself if he tried to believe that most weren't at least out of alignment. Once inside, Optimus lowered himself into a seat, smothering a sigh of relief as the pressure and pain eased from his joints.

They made their way to Optimus' shuttle, dropping Gungrey and Chargeup off to pilot it back to the Steelhaven before making their own way there. Once on board, Optimus was carted off to the medical bay for repairs.

* * *

**A/N:** Gee...I sure seem to like to put Optimus in the med bay... :\ :P

**Standout4Christ:** Yea, I get it. :) Just a fair warning, in case I didn't mention it before, there's going to be slash romance later in the fic. Dunno how much later...Thanks for another review!

**Optimus'girl:** Yep, Sari the AllSpark Speaker. And Optimus will help her as much as he can. No definite history of the Speakers yet, but I'm sure I'll come up with something :P. It's likely the speaker before her was a casualty of the Great War. Thanks for another review! Hmmm...Autobot name...prolly something along the lines of Hyperdrive or Hyperbounce. :P I'm a bit energetic...

**Wolf Prime:** Yep, another 'reason for something in the show.' :D Returning to work, for Optimus, is a hazardous thing. :P We'll see what I do with this fic as to whether or not his past is 'dark secrets' :) Thanks for another review! Hope you liked the update.

**Sounddrive:** Yea, I just got my almanacs not long ago. I'll have to see who makes it in. Cosmos might make an appearance. Depends on what plot bunnies gnaw their way into the fic. :) And you never know. Sari might make more friends. Thanks for the review!

**scrin99:** Yep. I sew. Prolly should be sewing right now too... LOL Secretarybot stalker! Well, I don't mean him that way exactly, but he is keeping a close optic on his new boss. :3 Hope you got your fix! Thanks for the review!


	16. Protocols

So, yay! Another update and a bit more interesting strangeness. And loffliness. :P

* * *

**Chapter 16: Protocols**

.

Optimus rested on a medical berth as First Aid worked to finish repairs. He had been correct in assessing his damage as not spark threatening, although First Aid had given him a small lecture about even walking with an injury that _could_ have been spark threatening. That and it had only exacerbated some of the joint injuries. Several cracked gears had to be replaced and everything from his hips down had been re-aligned. First Aid was competent and thorough, numbing the pain sensors from Optimus' neck down before beginning work. Although he was grateful for the lack of pain, Optimus found himself feeling a bit patronized as well.

Not only was First Aid not taking Optimus' word about the extent of his injuries, but he was also running a light systems scan. Some of his actions could be written of as simply that of a medic but others just felt like something else and Optimus wasn't sure what or why.

Glancing to the side, Optimus focused on the other bots in the med bay for a moment. Jazz had been released within a cycle, none of his injuries more than simple scratches and dents. Steelroad and Brakeslide had suffered a bit more damage, Brakeslide the worst with several main energon lines damaged from a shot from Thundercracker's null ray to the shoulder. He still required a large amount of reconstruction of the damaged components.

"There." First Aid spoke up as he reactivated Optimus' sensors. "Your repairs are complete, but I want you to report back to me in five megacycles for a checkup."

"That's not necessary." Optimus said with a frown. "Besides, you should be helping repair Brakeslide."

"No, I'm assigned as your personal medic until medic Ratchet returns." First Aid told him. "My focus is your health. Besides, medic Gatling is better at handling repairs like those solo."

"A personal medic is unnecessary." Optimus told him. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Your past health decisions disprove that statement." First Aid commented wryly. "So until we're certain you are capable, you'll be expected to come to myself or Ratchet with anything out of the ordinary and every other decacycle."

Then it began to become clear to Optimus. "Are these," he lowered his voice so that Brakeslide couldn't hear, "abuse protocols?" Optimus was rather surprised that they were going this far over a few viruses. "I wasn't abused. My creators took care of me and kept me safe."

"Your creators may have taken care of you, but they didn't teach you to take care of yourself properly. You may not see it as abuse, but it fits under those protocols." First Aid told him softly.

"I am an adult mech." Optimus pointed out. "This is…"

"Necessary for your continued career in the Elite Guard." First Aid interrupted, and Optimus paused at the comment. "You are in a high profile and dangerous position and need to be far more aware of your own systems status. There have been past attempts on command staff that were only caught because those mechs and femmes were aware enough to report to medical as soon as they noticed something was off. The fact that you're an adult mech makes no difference for the protocols."

Optimus knew he couldn't escape their fussing now by heading to another medic if he thought he was damaged or infected with a virus. Abuse protocols were not just a set of guidelines to be followed, but actual code inserted into a bots scanning protocols that would pop up immediately when a scan was initiated, alerting whatever medic or scientist that the bot they were examining either had been or was suspected to have been abused. And only a medic properly authorized could change or remove the coding.

The only thing Optimus could do was accept that he was going to be treated much like a sparkling for some time to come. He couldn't see what was so bad about his methods of taking care of himself. Carefully Optimus shifted up off the berth, settling himself on his peds gingerly. There was no pain or discomfort left in his joints.

"I will be back in five megacycles." Optimus agreed quietly. First Aid nodded his acknowledgement as Optimus walked by him out of medical. As he headed for his quarters, he decided to find Ultra Magnus and discuss this with him. He really was far too old to have abuse protocols active on him.

A quick inquiry on the command deck had Optimus once again heading for the personal quarters, having been told that Ultra Magnus was in his on-ship office, which was attached to his quarters. Arriving at the office door, Optimus pressed the chime, surprised when the door immediately slid open. Stepping inside he glanced around, noting that Ultra wasn't actually in the office.

"Sir?" He called out hesitantly. No matter how many times the Magnus told him to address him as Ultra, it was just uncomfortable to go into a superior officer's office and call out to them with their given designation.

"Optimus." Ultra's voice came as the door to his quarters slid open. "Is something wrong?"

Optimus' systems heated with embarrassment as he looked over at Ultra Magnus to discover that he was dripping with solvents, obviously having been interrupted in the washrack. He couldn't help it as his optics slid over Ultra's slick frame, appreciating the way the solvents shone in the light before tearing his optics away, embarrassed at what he had just been doing.

"I..I'm sorry sir!" Optimus blurted out, keeping his optics pinned on the floor. "I was just hoping to talk with you. I didn't mean to…I didn't realize you were in the washrack. I'll…I'll come back later." Optimus would never admit it out loud, but he had been one of the many cadets who had…entertained small fantasies about the Magnus, although his were nowhere near the level of filthiness that others, like Wheelcharger's, were. He couldn't help but recall one of Wheelcharger's more…vivid scenes with Ultra in the washracks. It was filthy and made Optimus' systems heat shamefully with want. Even as Optimus was embarrassed about his imaginations, he accepted that it was fairly natural for cadets to fantasize about one or all of their instructors or higher ranking officers.

"It's alright, Optimus. I was almost finished." Ultra reassured him, seeming a bit amused at Optimus' reaction. "I was about to dry off. I will be done in a few nanokliks."

Optimus took a seat in front of Ultra's desk and tried to use those nanokliks to cool his systems. He managed to cool his systems a little by the time Ultra came back out, but all that work failed when he saw how shiny Ultra's frame was even without solvents on it. Cursing internally, Optimus tried to keep his optics from lingering too long away from Ultra's face.

"Now, what was it you wished to speak with me about?" Ultra questioned, sitting behind the desk and folding his arms across its surface.

"It's about my…medical situation." Optimus answered.

"I am aware of the activation of the abuse protocols." Ultra informed him, shifting back in his seat slightly. "I am guessing you are here to ask me to have them removed."

"I'm an adult." Optimus responded. "I know now that I shouldn't firewall viruses. These precautions are unnecessary."

"But can you say for certain that you won't do it ever again?" Ultra asked and Optimus hesitated, unsure if he could guarantee that. "This precaution is in place for just that reason." Ultra went on, taking Optimus' silence for a no. "And we are also considering the possibility that you may have been taught other incorrect methods regarding your systems health."

Optimus frowned as he said, "I don't think I have. No one has indicated I'm doing anything 'wrong'. My creators may have made an error, but I don't think that they deliberately taught me incorrectly."

"They may have done that because they did not believe you would remain online long enough for the viruses to become damaging, but they also did not correct their mistake when you did survive." Ultra told him, and Optimus felt a stab of displeasure and guilt. "Have you been given any datapads?"

Optimus was confused. "Ultra, sir? What datapads? I receive reports every solar cycle."

"The informational datapads from the medics." Ultra told him. "You still don't seem to believe your creators did anything wrong. Perhaps when you read the datapads you'll understand why we are so adamant about this. I apologize in advance, many are written for sparklings, but I expect you to read them. They will be given to you when we return to Cybertron."

"Yes sir." Optimus acknowledged a bit bitterly.

"Optimus." Ultra spoke, pinning Optimus with a calm stare.

"This is just frustrating." Optimus finally vented. "I'm not a sparkling but all of you are treating me like one."

"I understand how it would be, but you must understand, Optimus, we are being difficult because we care about you." Ultra told him placatingly. "Bluestreak in particular has taken a real shine to you. He frets if you are even a nanoklik late and is ready to call a medic every time you fail to respond immediately."

"That's a bit overboard." Optimus grumbled lightly, not really feeling it. He had to admit, Bluestreak was a good mech and he had already become fond of the secretarybot.

"He dares to consider you a friend." Ultra told him, smiling a bit. "There are, unfortunately, not many bots willing to tolerate Bluestreak's talking. You do, and even listen, so he can't help but want to be certain you are taken care of."

"Is he aware of the…protocols?" Optimus asked hesitantly.

"He was made aware of them because he is in the best position to keep an optic on you."

"That would explain why he's fussing so much and bringing be energon every shift." Optimus mused aloud.

"Partially, but I wouldn't count on that ever stopping." Ultra seemed even more amused now. "It's what secretarybots do after all."

Optimus vented a teasing sigh, allowing a small grin to quirk his lip plates. He supposed that Ultra probably had to put up with the same sorts of things from his secretarybots. After that they fell into easy conversation about work and changes to Cybertron since Optimus' Academy days.

XXXXXXX

After returning to Cybertron, Optimus had received the informational datapads within a megacycle. As Ultra had said, most were aimed towards sparklings, explaining what abuse was through stories and illustrations. Optimus both learned quite a bit about sparkling abuse and neglect while reaffirming a lot of what he knew. Though he still wasn't sure he could completely accept his own circumstances as abuse. Yet. He knew he would have to, especially since that aspect of his creators' behavior did fall under the category of neglect.

Setting the datapads down, Optimus rubbed his optics tiredly. Checking his internal chronometer he saw that he had been reading datapads for over a megacycle and a half. He was surprised that Bluestreak hadn't come in to tell him to go home yet. Or perhaps he had but Optimus hadn't heard him. Admittedly, once he had started reading he had become absorbed in it enough that he might have not noticed anybot entering his office if they hadn't made an effort to get his attention.

Standing up, he stretched the taught cabling of his back and neck. Bluestreak chose that moment to enter his office.

"Oh, good you're finished reading. I came in to tell you to go home but you were absorbed in reading those datapads and I didn't really want to interrupt since you need to read all of them, but you are here seventeen cycles after your shift ended and you really should go home now, sir." Bluestreak commented. "Are you alright, sir? I know how stiff cabling can get from sitting and reading datapads all day."

"I'm just a bit stiff. Not bad though." Optimus told him. "And I was about to head home. You could have gone home at the end of your shift."

"Somebot has to make sure that you go home, sir. You've been known to overwork so I have to make sure that you don't stay here too long." Bluestreak told him.

"I don't overwork." Optimus groused. "Often," he amended.

Bluestreak just smiled. "Well, since you seem to be done you should head home. No reason to stay here without an emergency. I'll see you tomorrow, sir."

Optimus exited the office behind Bluestreak. "I'll see you tomorrow."

As he was entering the door to his building, Optimus heard someone calling to him. Hoping it wasn't a fanbot, Optimus turned, scanning the street. Coming towards him he spotted Smoulder. Raising a servo in greeting, Optimus waited for Smoulder to catch up.

"Hey, Optimus." Smoulder greeted, transforming with a smile.

"Hello, Smoulder. Are you off shift now?" Optimus asked.

"Yep!" Smoulder answered. "Anyways, I had an idea. If you haven't fueled yet this evening, why don't we go over to that energon shop a couple blocks over? Beats sitting around in an apartment alone."

"Why not?" Optimus agreed.

Smoulder chuckled and together they transformed, heading for the rather well known energon shop.

* * *

RAWR! So I'm going to either post earlier next week (depending on how soon I get my projects complete) or the week after. Con next weekend, so I won't be writing on Friday.

**Wolf Prime:** Well, we hurt the ones we love y'know. :P I hoped you'd like the Slipstream fight. :D His past could probably be considered dark-ish...I suppose. Optimus is a relatively young bot and I imagine he was rather sheltered and didn't dare to dream much thinking he wasn't going to live long. Yes, with me writing, he is likely to be injured sometime soon. :P Thanks for the review!

**Standout4Christ:** Phrasing is a funny thing and somewhat dependent on the reader. :) (I read things weirdly allll the time so it's all good to me.) I don't plan on making her a full bot. Since she was created by a human touching a protoform I'll keep her techno-organic, but she will upgrade (aka grow) and come to more of an understanding of herself. At least that's what I plan on now. Thanks for the review!

**Optimus'girl:** Hmm...TC may be out there for a while. :P And as for a bot parent...ho boy...erm...Arcee could be fun. Blurr would probably be more my energy level thought. XD Yes, I 3 Optimus too. :) Thanks for another review!

**MajinBakaHentai:** Glad you're liking it. Hope you continue reading. Thanks for the review!

**Sounddrive:** Comes with being a whomper I guess. :P I'll try to keep him uninjured for a chapter or two. ) No promises. Optimus has a life packed with scufflies. Thanks for the review!

**SavvyEnigma:** Glad you love it. :D Hope you keep loving it. Thanks for the review!

**scrin99:** ROFL *packs Optimus in cushioning* XD Sari will be sight seeing, researching (aka catching up on Cybertron's history), figuring out a better way to play charades with a rock, and trying to make friends. It's considerably harder for her, being a techno-organic, even a naturally occurring one. Training, probably some of that too. :D And we'll see what evil plot bunny bites me after I finally write out the one gnawing on me now... Thanks for the review!


	17. An AllSpark Moment

So, yes, this took longer than I really intended. Con-lag and all that. I hope to get another chapter up Friday or Saturday, then maybe get back to some sort of schedule. Who knows. :D

* * *

**Chapter 17: An AllSpark Moment**

.

The next solar cycle Optimus headed to Sari's apartment first thing to pick her up. Since they had retrieved two AllSpark shards Sari could now put them back into the AllSpark and perhaps understand it a bit better.

Pulling up outside her building, Optimus transformed, a bit surprised to see Sari there already, waiting beside an unfamiliar femme. She was a large green and yellow utility truckbot model with a small crane attachment. Sari grinned, activating her jetpack and flying up to his shoulder.

"Hey Optimus!" Sari greeted cheerfully. "I'd like you to meet my new friend, Metaldrive."

"I'm glad you've made a new friend." Optimus told Sari, smiling at both her and Metaldrive. "It's good to meet you, Metaldrive."

"Same to you, Optimus Prime." Metaldrive greeted in return.

Before Optimus could say anything else, Sari interrupted, "come on, let's get going! You can talk later." He could feel her practically vibrating on his shoulder.

"Excited?" He asked, transforming.

"Yeah, kinda." Sari answered, immediately clambering into his cab. She was definitely more than 'kinda' excited.

Optimus drove quickly towards Headquarters while not going excessively fast. As much as Sari may want him to hurry, he wasn't about to be reckless about it. Even so, it didn't take long for them to get there and into Ultra Magnus' office.

"Ah, good." Ultra Magnus smiled, standing from his place behind his desk. "You're here."

"Yep! So we can go now, right?" Sari asked grinning like mad.

"Actually, you are a bit early so the shards will not arrive for several more cycles." Ultra told her.

Optimus frowned slightly, checking his chronometer. "I wasn't aware your shifts started so early." He murmured mostly to himself, making a note to update his informational files on Command schedules.

"I admit I came in a bit early this solar cycle." Ultra responded tidying up the stacks of datapads on his desk.

"Not just this solar cycle." A voice interrupted from the back. They all turned to see Ultra's secretarybot standing in the doorway, behind him were several Elite Guard members. "I sent notice that you had arrived and they hurried the shards here."

"Thank you, Bladestorm." Ultra said as he moved around his desk to meet the Elite Guard entering the room. Ultra held out a servo and the lead Guardmech saluted then placed the shards in his servo. With another salute, the Guardmechs left the Magnus' office.

"You shouldn't overwork yourself, Ultra." Optimus chastised lightly. Ultra at least had the good grace to look a bit sheepish, aware that everybot, including Ultra himself had been telling Optimus the same thing.

Optimus turned to look at Sari at the sound of her laughing. Instead of stopping when she noticed him looking, she just laughed harder.

"Is something funny, Sari?" He asked, confused at her sudden strange behavior.

"Nope, nothing at all." She answered, a massive grin on her face, her eyes still laughing.

Optimus frowned, reviewing the situation, trying to devise the reason for her amusement. Nothing became apparent which confused Optimus even more.

Ultra turned to them, "are you ready to leave?"

"Yep!" Sari chirped.

"Yes sir." Optimus responded.

"Then transform and roll out." Ultra commanded, and Optimus did so, Sari climbing inside of his cab once again.

Because of the still present Decepticon threat, the AllSpark was currently being kept in a new, top secret temple, with extremely tight security around it. In fact, the altar room where the AllSpark sits is heavily shielded to prevent the Decepticons from simply locking onto its signal and snatching it. When they arrived at the gate of the secure building complex, Optimus and Ultra transformed, stepping inside the verification chamber, each connecting a cable to the identification consoles.

A chime and a green light greeted both of them, and the door cycled open to admit a securitymech. He saluted them and then spotted Sari.

"Sirs? Is this the Speaker candidate we were informed of?" the mech asked.

"Yes. This is Sari Sumdac. She will be placing the shards in the new AllSpark." Ultra informed the mech who nodded and turned to a different door.

"If you will follow me." He then linked to the door console. Moments later, the door cycled open and they proceeded through it. Through the door was a long hallway with obvious security doors dotting its length.

They passed through several more locked security doors and down several twisting corridors before approaching an ornate door. Once again the securitybot connected a cable to pass through the door. The room beyond was ornate, designed to be a temple for the AllSpark in every way. Engravings and metal tapestries hung all along the walls, the ceiling was high and carved with prayers and stories. The AllSpark sat in the center of the room on a pedestal in the center of a raised platform draped in expensive metal cloths, surrounded by expensive crystals and gems, each resonating with the AllSparks energy.

Optimus and Ultra stopped just inside the door and Optimus lifted Sari off her perch on his shoulder, carefully setting her on the floor. Sari took a deep breath and slowly made her way towards the AllSpark. As she got closer, the glow around the AllSpark increased, seeming to reach out to her. Each step she took closer to the AllSpark, the more it glowed and pulsed. Sari abruptly shifted into bot mode, her frame glowing and pulsing in time with the AllSpark.

Dizziness swept through Optimus' frame as the AllSpark energy flared strongly through the chamber. His vision blurred and his chassis felt strange for a moment. When his optics reset he saw that he was on his knees, a pulsating glow lighting up the floor in front of him. Looking down Optimus realized that, while the design hadn't been altered, it was the glow of his own spark filtered through his now red and blue clear chestplates. And not only were his chestplates colored glass, but his sparkplate had been changed as well.

Embarassed, Optimus covered his chestplates with his arms, glancing up at the AllSpark, wide opticed. Instead, his optics met Sari's. She was staring back at him just as wide opticed. Abruptly she whirled around to face the AllSpark.

"You actually…why?" She asked the AllSpark, pausing for a moment before continuing, "you may think it's pretty, but in Cybertronian culture it's obscene! You should know that!" Optimus couldn't agree more. If he remained like this he wouldn't be seen as more than a glorified prostibot no matter his position. "No!" Sari continued speaking with the AllSpark. "Something needs to…alright. That's fine."

Dizziness swept through Optimus' frame once again as his vision hazed with the surge of AllSpark energy. When his vision cleared, Optimus saw he now, once again, had metal plates behind his glass chestplates. Optimus tried to stand, only to have the room tilt and spin. Servos caught his frame before he could hit the floor.

"Are you alright Optimus?" Ultra asked as he gently shifted Optimus so he was standing, leaning against Ultra's larger frame.

"My stabilizers appear to be malfunctioning." Optimus answered as he started an internal diagnostic before looking up at Sari. "Why did the AllSpark…?"

"Because it seems to really like you with those glass chestplates." Sari groused. "I'm sorry Optimus. I didn't realize when it showed me those two different styles it was actually asking me to choose how it would…" She trailed of, waving a servo in the vague direction of his chestplates.

"It's…alright." Optimus reassured. At least this wasn't the first time he had chestplates like this, so there would be no getting used to the stares and rumors. He would only have to get back into that frame of processor.

"I am glad the AllSpark took your suggestion and added the metal backing." Ultra spoke up. "I would not have felt confident about sending him out on assignment with glass chestplates."

"Actually, I don't think you would have had to worry about that." Sari told him. "The AllSpark kinda kept showing me something that I think was a strength comparison of some sort between a big tankbot taking a shot and Optimus taking the same shot."

"Then they are AllSpark blessed." Ultra concluded.

"Is the AllSpark alright?" Optimus asked, watching the now dull glow pulsing around them.

"The silly thing tired itself out re-integrating the shards _and_ altering your chestplates at the _same time_." Sari shot the AllSpark an exasperated look. "Now the images are all blurry and incomplete. I don't know what it's trying to tell me."

The securitymech stepped forward. "If you will give us your information, we can program you into the system and you can return whenever you need."

"Like, name and number and all that?" Sari asked.

"No, your identifying code." Optimus answered shifting up a little straighter. "Most bots have an access panel along their arm somewhere."

Sari started examining her arms, flexing and testing every potential joint until an access panel finally slid open. "Ooo, cool. I didn't know I had these." The securitymech smiled as he tapped a console on the wall.

"If you'll just connect here, the program will identify and acknowledge your code, giving you unlimited access to the AllSpark." The securitymech told her. "It will be nice to have a Speaker again."

Sari connected a cable to the console before asking, "how long has it been since there was a Speaker?"

"There was no Speaker for many stellar cycles before the AllSpark was hidden in space." Ultra answered.

Sari glanced back at the AllSpark for a moment. "Yea, I kinda get the impression that it's kinda on the fence about that." Sari said.

"On the fence?" Ultra asked, obviously confused by the human analogy.

"Yeah, it hasn't decided how it feels about it. Y'know. On the fence. Between two sides." Sari explained.

"I do apologize and hope it understands." Ultra said quietly.

"I'll talk to it about that later. When it's rested." Sari responded. "Right now we should go get Optimus fixed so he can stand up right."

"My self-repair has almost finished re-setting my stabilizers." Optimus retorted, trying to straighten up even more against Ultra.

"We should still get you checked." Sari insisted, concern coloring her tone. "I mean, it's not everyday I see one of you guys fall down and not be able to get back up."

"I apologize, Sari. I didn't mean to worry you." Optimus said quietly, attempting to move away from Ultra only to succumb to another wave of dizziness. He felt himself being shifted and settled against a large chest. Even before his vision cleared he knew he had been picked up by _Ultra Magnus._ As the optical distortions cleared, Optimus' systems heated with embarrassment, truly seeing that he really _was_ being carried by the Magnus.

"Please Optimus." Sari spoke softly from her perch on Ultra Magnus' shoulderplating. "You looked like you were going to pass out."

"I'm not sure what it is to 'pass out,' but I'm not going to." Optimus tried to reassure her. "I'm just dizzy."

"But you're a robot!" Sari exclaimed. "How can a robot get dizzy?"

"When a Cybertronian's gravitational stabilizers malfunction it causes, not only the loss of the ability to move properly, but also a sensor error leading the visual processor to believe the bot to have entered a gravitational distortion. The visual processor then attempts to adjust for this distortion yet as soon as it does so the processor recognizes that it is wrong and reverts the visual field to its original parameters." Ultra explained. "This cycle continues until the bot remains motionless for several nanokliks."

"I…think I get it." Sari told them, a considering look on her face.

When they reached the main entrance, Optimus shifted, trying to get out of Ultra's arms. His vision distorted a bit at the motion and he frowned.

"My stabilizers should have reset by now." Optimus murmured to himself.

"The AllSpark energy may have interfered with your self-repair systems." Ultra mentioned. "Your gravitational stabilizers may require a manual reset."

Which meant going to First Aid. Who was at Autobot Command. Which was practically on the other side of the city. Optimus hoped Ultra didn't intend to carry him all the way across Iacon.

* * *

MWAHAHHAAA...erp. Yea, I am sooo gonna end it there. :P

**Wolf Prime:** Yes, now Optimus has more annoyances. Teehee. Injured in this chappy, no. Goofed up...of course! Yeah. It may be a few chappies before I start to get into 'past' type stuff. :P Anyways, glad you're still enjoying it!

**Sounddrive:** And a very long wait for this update. Apologies. :\ Rare conditions, good or bad, are rare and sometimes forgotten. As was Optimus'. Sad day. :) Sari in this chappy, Bulkhead and Bee in the next. :D Enjoy!

**scrin99:** Yes, it is sad that this really does happen. And that is a veeeery big discussion. The 'Cons didn't take the shards because they were Slipstream's trump card. She's too smart to go in flashing such valuable merchandise/objects. She was in no way handing those shards over or letting them be stolen. Almost didn't survive. *gonk* Another update to sate you. :)

**Optimus'girl:** The protocols actually aren't scary, more annoying for Optimus because they make everyone coddle him a bit. :P And yes, Optimus does fancy Ultra a bit. But no, there was no actual video from the washracks. Wheelcharger wrote a fanfic/fantasy scene that was very involved and then read it to anybot who was in audio range. :P I don't really plan on having him related to Wheeljack though. No, I haven't seen TF: Prime. Only have local channels. May try to locate it at some point, likely after I am finished with this fic so I'm not distracted. Sounds yummy. :D Here's another chapter that answers a 'perhaps' to your last question. :)

**SavvyEnigma:** Sorry it took so long. Con and then deadness and work right after. Ugh. Hope to get another update really soon after this though. XD

**JZ Belexes:** Well, I'm glad you like my Bluestreak. :P I enjoy writing him. He's like I am some days on chocolate. Teehee.


	18. Incursion

Yet again this took longer than I had hoped and said it would. I blame all those sunny days. :P Anyways, it's here now. Will try to get the regular-ish update on Friday too.

* * *

**Chapter 18: Incursion**

.

It was several solar cycles later that they received an urgent call from the spacebridge team. Hurrying to the communications room, Optimus was in time to hear the science mechs frantic pleas for help.

"We're under attack from a small team of…" the mech was cut off by an explosion and Optimus tensed at the sight of a small yellow bot flying past in the background. There was only one yellow bot on the team. Unless yellow was suddenly endorsed as a Decepticon color, that was Bumblebee. As much as he had chafed at the assignment to a spacebridge team before, he suddenly found himself wishing he was there with them. One thing he hadn't considered was how difficult it would be for him to see his team injured or in danger and be absolutely powerless.

"What's the situation?" Ultra Magnus asked entering the communications center, Jazz trailing close behind.

"Spacebridge Repair Team Ceti is under attack by a small Decepticon force." Optimus informed him, turning slightly to look both at Ultra Magnus and keep an optic on the screen where the science bots were still trying to give an accurate account of what was happening and to identify their Decepticon attackers. There were several Guard members taking notes on both what the sciencebots said and what they could see.

In the background a large black and green Decepticon started to approach the sciencebots. Warnings were shouted and Optimus watched them turn in time to see the Decepticon take a shot from a very familiar set of weapons grade stingers. A tiny bit of tension left Optimus' frame as Bumblebee re-entered the frame, placing his battered chassis between the Decepticon and the sciencebots. The Decepticon sneered and kept approaching, even as Bumblebee sent shot after shot at his armor, blasting tiny holes in some of the weaker places. Before the Decepticon could reach Bumblebee and swat him out of the way he was smashed to the side by a silver and green wrecking ball. Bumblebee pulled a pair of stasis cuffs from his subspace and chased after the Decepticon.

"Do you believe the Decepticons to be trying to access Cybertron through the spacebridges?" Ultra Magnus asked from beside Optimus who couldn't suppress his small, startled twitch. He had been so engrossed in watching what was occurring on the screen that he hadn't noticed Ultra's approach.

"It is likely, sir." One of the sciencebots responded. "They are not making any attempt to damage the spacebridge itself."

"Then they plan on taking the spacebridge intact." Ultra concluded.

"That's the thing, sir. They haven't made any hard presses to actually get to the spacebridge itself." The sciencebot informed them.

"It's a diversion." Optimus half asked, half concluded.

"They are likely making an attempt to reach Cybertron from a different location." Ultra realized. "Optimus Prime, Jazz. Gather the Elite Guard and head to the Spacebridge Hub. We need to prepare for a possible invasion."

"Yes sir." They responded in unison. Optimus reluctantly tore his optics away from the screen and headed out of the communications room. As much as he hated to leave it was his duty to protect Cybertron.

Several quick comm. calls later, Optimus, Jazz, and a team of about twenty Elite Guard were on their way to the Spacebridge Hub. The securitybots already there had been informed of the situation and told to expect the incoming help. So far there had been no activity at the Spacebridge Hub, but that didn't mean anything when the Decepticons were involved. Upon arrival, they split up between the different sections of the Hub, four per section, Optimus and Jazz rotating between them to keep an optic out and keep all the teams connected.

Every cycle seemed to stretch on for megacycles to Optimus, worry consuming his processor. Each circuit through the Spacebridge Hub just added to the stress and tension of waiting. As Optimus left one arm of the Hub and headed for another, he met up with Jazz. They wordlessly confirmed that there was still no activity. Optimus shifted to ease the tension of his shoulder cables and felt a servo rest on his shoulder.

"It's cool OP." Jazz reassured quietly. "They can take care of a few 'Cons."

"I know." Optimus responded venting deeply, "but I can't help but worry. I should be there. I…"

"They can handle it." Jazz interrupted. "Just chill."

"I know, but I still.." Optimus trailed off and vented deeply again. He did need to try to concentrate more on the job at servo. "I'm sorry. I'll try not to be so distracted."

Jazz squeezed his shoulder. "That ain't what I meant, OP. You don't have to worry so much, dig?"

Before Optimus could respond their comms crackled to life.

"Sirs! This is Flicker in Hub Three! One of the spacebridges is activating!" Flicker sounded tense even over the comm..

"On our way." Optimus responded transforming immediately and hurrying to Hub Three. As soon as they passed through the corridor and into the main Hub area they spotted the activated spacebridge.

"Can you shut it down?" Optimus asked as soon as they were within the Hub.

"No sir." Rotor informed them from a console at the base of the active spacebridge. "They appear to have hacked it open from the other side."

"The bridge has stabilized sir. Somebot could come through at any moment." Swiftblades said quietly, optics glued to the transwarp field.

"Alright. We're going to set up as much of an ambush as possible." Optimus ordered. "Flicker behind that console, Swiftblades down the corridor, Rotor behind the spacebridge arms, and…Ironaft…change your name, please. It's really not appropriate for an Elite Guard mech."

"I didn't choose it, sir." Ironaft informed him quietly. "My drill instructor gave it to me and I…"

"Alright. Just go take cover. I'll…work something out later." Optimus told him, not wanting to know _how_ he had earned the name. Optimus then turned to Jazz. "I'll stay out here. Give the illusion that we have weak security here. It would be best if you hid as well."

"Solid." Jazz responded, giving him a thumbs up before jumping up to hide somewhere behind another spacebridge.

Optimus vented a few times, trying to focus himself on looking vigilant but also alone. He turned to face the active spacebridge, pulling his axe and snapping his facemask into place. Even if nobot came through they would be prepared.

All too soon the transwarp field fluctuated and a bot came through. A purple bot with red optics. Optimus slid down into a defensive stance easily, preparing for battle even though he knew he had plenty of backup. The Decepticon's optics slid over his frame and the bot smiled feraly.

Chuckling he said, "the others said you were easy on the optics, but I didn't realize they meant you were this pretty. Especially with plates like that." The Decepticon's optics roved over Optimus' frame again in a distinctly lustful way, pausing at his chestplates.

Optimus twitched. That was a disturbing bit of information and even more disturbing looks. As much as he probably should know something like that, Optimus really didn't actually want to have to hear it from a Decepticon's vocalizer. Actually, he really didn't want to have to hear it at all. Or stand here in front of several Elite Guards while a Decepticon enjoyed looking at his frame.

The Decepticon stalked towards Optimus in a very suggestive manner, but before he could make it more than a quarter of the distance, Jazz slammed into him from behind, snapping a pair of stasis cuffs and a mouthclamp on before the bot could even react.

"Rotor." Jazz called. "Escort him to a secure area."

"Everybot else, prepare for more." Optimus ordered as Rotor dragged the Decepticon towards the corridor and out of sight.

Within a cycle the comm. station at the base of the still active spacebridge came to life. "Smackdown! What are you…." The bot on the other end paused, seeing Optimus alone in the Hub center. "So he failed. So be it." Instantly the comm. went dark and within a nanoklik two bots emerged from the spacebridge. The one was a dark purple bot with red and black slashes across his armor, the other was black with medium purple outlines on each armor segment.

"Too bad you are alone against both of us." The purple bot from the comm. sneered at Optimus, red optics narrowing. "We'll enjoy defeating you."

They both charged in, weapons blazing. Optimus dodged several blasts before Jazz and Flicker were engaging the purple bot, Swiftblades and Ironaft engaging the black one. He watched their fights intently, noting the time and maneuvers needed to cuff both Decepticons. It was his duty, after all, to make sure that bots under his command were up to standards about such tasks.

As the spacebridge finally started to close, another Decepticon came hurtling out of it, landing lightly on his peds before launching himself straight at Optimus. Optimus had just enough time to brace himself before the Decepticon rammed into his axe, which he was using as a shield. Optimus pushed him back and away, reaching into his subspace for a pair of stasis cuffs, but the Con was a small, fast model, charging back at Optimus before he could get the stasis cuffs even into a position to get them on the bot. He met the charge with his axe, blasting foam into the bots face as he did so.

The Decepticon merely laughed, pushing against the handle of Optimus' axe so that he could reach in and rub a servo across Optimus' glass chestplates.

"You would be quite popular on New Kaon with these. I'm sure these Autobots don't know how to properly appreciate such a frame." The Decepticon purred at him and Optimus kicked him away, snapping his own servo up to catch the Decepticon's, snapping one side of the stasis cuffs on him as the bot stumbled back.

The cuffs started to immobilize the Decepticon even as Jazz dashed in from the side and snapped the other side up around the Decepticon's other servo, a mouthclamp soon following.

"Transport them directly to the stockades." Optimus ordered. "They can be questioned later."

"Yes sir." Swiftblades responded, giving him a salute before joining the others in dragging the immobile Decepticons from the Spacebridge Hub.

Optimus knew that they would probably call for assistance in transporting the prisoners, but he was now concerned about more possible incursions while he and Jazz guarded the Hub. He paced while they waited, tense and nervous. He actually jumped slightly when his comm. chimed.

"Optimus. All spacebridges report clear. The Decepticons have been captured or driven away. Spacebridge Zeta Nine reports a brief Decepticon infiltration." Ultra Magnus' calmly stated.

"Yes sir." Optimus reported. "We neutralized the Decepticons who managed to activate the spacebridge. They are en-route to the stockades now."

"Understood." Ultra Magnus sounded vaguely pleased. "Reserve Guardbots have been called up to provide extra protection at the Spacebridge Hub. They should arrive shortly. You and your team are to return to Command when they arrive."

"Acknowledged." Optimus responded.

"I expect a debriefing from you and Jazz at that time. Ultra Magnus out." Ultra commanded before closing the connection. Optimus quickly relayed the orders and information to the rest of the team, hardly relaxing but ceasing his pacing. He hoped he would get an update on the science team then because worry for his friends still gnawed at his processor.

A quarter of a megacycle later the Guardbots showed up allowing Optimus and his impromptu team to leave. Together they transformed and headed back to Autobot Command. Optimus noticed that along the way Jazz, Swiftblades, Rotor, and Ironaft stuck particularly close, surrounding him, and he found himself becoming quite embarrassed. There was no doubt in his processor that they were being extra protective because of those…comments. And he didn't mind as much as he probably should. Somehow it felt nice to have the extra, if unnecessary at this point, protection. He had heard comments about his 'appealing' frame before, but never so many on the same solar cycle. It had been an especially long time since he had been groped like that.

After they arrived at headquarters, Jazz stuck by his side until they reached Ultra Magnus' office. Optimus nodded a quick greeting to the secretarybots, Bluestreak obviously waiting for when he was done, and entered the office with Jazz. Ultra Magnus was not yet in, so they sat down to wait. After a silent cycle of waiting, Jazz spoke up.

"You're still worrying. Stressing yourself like this ain't cool." Jazz calmly stated, yet again.

Optimus vented softly and tried to relax. He knew Jazz had a point, but convincing his frame to follow that suggestion was hard. As Jazz started humming it took Optimus a moment to recognize it as processor over matter but the abrupt feeling of his cabling relaxing without his processor's commands made it bluntly obvious. By the time that Ultra arrived, Optimus was a relaxed puddle of bot in the chair.

"Ultra sir." Optimus greeted, trying to sit up, but after being forced into relaxation he found that task very difficult.

"I see you managed to make him relax." Ultra observed to Jazz.

"Yes sir." Jazz responded grinning.

"I also have some news. The science team managed to ward off the Decepticons. Bumblebee and Bulkhead both sustained minor injuries and are recovering." Ultra told him, moving to sit behind the desk.

Optimus couldn't stop the sigh of relief that escaped him at the realization that his team was safe. Even though he was already relaxed, tension and worry bled from his frame and he wasn't sure he could keep himself upright. There really was such thing as being too relaxed and he was there.

"Now, what occurred at the Spacebridge Hub?" Ultra asked.

"It was all cool for about a megacycle." Jazz started reporting. "Then the 'Cons hacked a bridge from the other side so we set up for a surprise attack. The rest of us took hidden positions while Optimus remained visible. They fell for it pretty hard."

"Four Decepticons total came through. One confirmed to be named Smackdown. The others are unknown. All were taken into custody with minimal fighting and injuries." Optimus continued for Jazz, kind of hoping he would leave out the parts about him being leered at and groped.

"Those 'Cons showed particular…interest in OP's frame." Jazz added and Optimus shifted uncomfortably, shooting a glare at Jazz that the mech met calmly as he continued, "especially his new chestplates."

"So I see." Ultra stated flatly, optics drifting down to Optimus' chestplates, and Optimus glanced down, embarrassed to see they were were smudged with the Decepticon's paint. Grimacing he tried ineffectively to clean the paint off with his servo. "And you weren't going to mention this?"

Optimus sighed and said, "it's not the first time bots have shown…excessive interest in my frame." He looked Ultra straight in the optics. "I assure you I have no interest in their," he shuddered, voice dropping in disgust, "proposals."

Ultra's optics widened as he asked, "Decepticons have made…suggestions like these before?"

"Not just Decepticons." Optimus admitted quietly as he searched his subspace for a better cleaning agent than his servo.

"You have the authority to reprimand any Guardbot who has made unwanted advances or suggestions since your return." Ultra reminded him.

"Actually…the Guardbots have been very professional about it." Optimus commented. "It's the fanbots now…" He trailed off remembering the stares of the near-permanent group of fanbots that lingered outside his building the night he had returned from the new AllSpark temple. Now in crowds there were far more less-than-accidental touches to his frame.

"I will assign you a personal guardbot then." Ultra said.

"No, that's really not necessary." Optimus assured him. "It's just…distasteful."

"You should not have to tolerate it." Ultra said softly.

"I didn't have a guard growing up. I can handle it." Optimus retorted.

Ultra gave him a long, indecipherable look before speaking again. "Alright. But the offer stands. Dismissed."

Optimus and Jazz stood immediately, saluting before leaving the office to return to work.

* * *

Pretty Prime! :P

**Wolf Prime:** The AllSpark thinks Optimus was prettier that way. :P Basically...AllSpark is still a bit broken and went a bit bonkers with its power, knocking out his stabilizers on accident. Oops. :P Sorry no injuries this chapter. Just groping. But that's just how this one went. :) Potentially some fighting later. No promises though. Definitely more problems for Optimus though. Teehee. Thanks for the review! Sorry this took so long :\ Again...

**scrin99:** LOL creeeeepy AllSpark. Just remember...it is into bots having sparklings, and pretty bots have more potential suitors. ^.^ Yea...the AllSpark is back and ready for action...poor Sari. ) Your review made me laugh. Thanks!

**SavvyEnigma:** Yep, that's just how it goes. Poor Optimus *snicker*. Thanks for the review! Sorry about the long update time...

**Sounddrive:** Optimus is just a magnet for all sorts of problems. :P I decided that chapter had an 'imagine your own ending' to it. :D You get to decide in your own mind how it went. Aren't I nice? :P Sari did go from 8 to 16-ish in a hurry. :) Thanks for the review!

**Optimus'girl:** The AllSpark made Optimus all pretty...and embarrassed. :D Glad you liked the Magnus' assistance. XD Robots get dizzy in their own way. :) System errors really. And I don't have cable or satellite. I'll have to look online. And the good thing about being an author...I can decide how Cybertronians work for my fics. :D And the AllSpark didn't mean to do that to Optimus. It's just not at its best just yet so it used a bit too much power in altering him. Headquarters are sort of across Iacon. Haven't decided where First Aid lives yet. Of course First Aid helped, but you get to use your wonderful imagination to decide how. XD Thanks for another fun review!


	19. Rekindled Hope

Wooooo! I actually kinda got this one on time. It is before midnight after all. :P Little shorty chapter. Lotsa talking and new bits of story taking shape.

* * *

**Chapter 19: Rekindling Hope**

.

Within a megacycle of returning to his office Optimus received a comm. call. Opening the connection he was surprised and pleased to see Bumblebee and Bulkhead on the screen. Both still looked a bit dented and scraped, but otherwise in good repair. Optimus smiled only to have two identical looks of shock and surprise greet him in return.

"Those are…different." Bumblebee blurted out, optics pinned on Optimus' chestplates.

Optimus sighed lightly and nodded. "It seems that the AllSpark likes my frame better this way. Sari was a bit shocked about it as well." Optimus told them lightly.

"Well I guess she never did see your Cybertronian form." Bulkhead concluded uncertainly.

"It…may have had more to do with the fact that the AllSpark…didn't include the metal backing at first." Optimus admitted.

Bumblebee's optics went comically wide. "They…that…" He sputtered before falling silent, mouth hanging open. Bulkhead on the other servo looked like his processor may have crashed.

Optimus smirked, enjoying rendering Bumblebee speechless. Though he felt a bit bad about doing that to Bulkhead. Bulkhead recovered first though.

"So, uh, do you…like them bossbot?" Bulkhead asked uncertainly tapping his fingers together nervously.

"I was never particularly fond of them but since I was onlined with similar plates I can live with them easily enough." Optimus told him frankly.

"But I bet you get lots of…offers." Bumblebee said like that was somehow a good thing.

"Which is why I don't like them very much." Optimus responded rubbing a servo on his optic ridge. "I would much rather go without all of the propositioning and suggestive comments."

"It might help you…loosen up a bit, Prime." Bumblebee offered.

"I don't need to 'loosen up' Bumblebee. That's highly inappropriate." Optimus scolded.

"He's right Bumblebee. You should be more respectful." Bulkhead agreed.

"Awww lay off Bulkhead." Bumblebee groused back. "It's not like I haven't said it before."

"And you shouldn't have said it then either." Bulkhead chastised.

"I see you two are getting along well as always." Optimus observed drawing their attention back to the fact that they were still on the comm..

"Well somebot's gotta keep an eye on big bot here." Bumblebee teased.

"Har har." Bulkhead responded. "It's more like I have to keep an optic out for you. Who was it that nearly fell into a mineshaft? And what bot almost took out Spacebridge…"

"Alright, alright." Bumblebee interrupted waving a servo dismissively. "You don't have to get into all that."

"I'm glad to see you're both alright." Optimus commented smiling. They hadn't changed a bit really.

"Are you kidding? Those 'Cons didn't stand a chance against me." Bumblebee bragged smugly.

"Don't you mean 'us.'" Bulkhead prodded.

"Yeah. Us. They didn't stand a chance against us." Bumblebee amended glancing away, scratching at his faceplate awkwardly. Optimus couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped. It was good to see and talk with them.

Over the comm. he heard someone call out to Bulkhead and Bumblebee and they turned for a moment before turning back to Optimus.

"We gotta go now bossbot." Bulkhead said apologetically.

"Yeah, we're heading for the next bridge!" Bumblebee added enthusiastically. "Talk to you later, Prime."

"Alright. Be careful." Optimus told them.

"We're always careful." Bumblebee said smugly and Optimus barely kept from rolling his optics as they shut the connection.

Optimus sat back in his chair, a small smile on his faceplates. It was comforting to hear from them and Optimus wondered if they had called because they wanted to or because somebot had suggested it. Either way he appreciated it. Seeing them unharmed would help keep his processor from inventing dangerous unseen injuries to offline them.

Several cycles before his shift ended the door opened and Sari came bouncing in.

"Hey Optimus!" She greeted him enthusiastically.

"Hello Sari." Optimus greeted her with a smile. "Did you come to visit or was there something you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, I was kinda hoping we could go somewhere to talk again." Sari answered a bit more shyly. "About…well, you know."

"Of course." Optimus responded, immediately realizing she was referring to the AllSpark visions she received. "In fact, I am almost done with this report and we can leave once I finish."

"You don't have to leave early just because of me." Sari told him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Actually, Bluestreak was trying to get me to leave almost a megacycle ago." Optimus admitted. "So a few cycles are hardly a big deal."

"Why would he want you to leave that early?" Sari asked, frowning, eyes sweeping his frame. "You don't look hurt or anything."

"Well, there was a bit of a scuffle today." Optimus told her. "Unfortunately I can't really tell you the specifics."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Elite Guard business and all that." Sari said dismissively.

"I really wish I could tell you more." Optimus apologized.

"Well you can make it up to me by finishing up quickly." Sari informed him, flying up to perch on the edge of his desk.

"Of course Sari." Optimus agreed easily, shifting his attention back to the datapad he had been reading. Since he was almost to the end it took just over a cycle for him to finish and sign off on it. "There." He set the datapad in his 'completed' bin before offering his servo to Sari. "I've finished. We can leave now."

Sari ignored his servo and flew up to his shoulder. "Great." She settled down easily. "Let's go then. There's this specialty energon restaurant not too far from here that I want to try. No oil offered. I still can't get myself to try oil."

Optimus walked out the door, nodding a goodbye to Bluestreak before heading out into the hallway. "Don't force yourself to try it. It will likely just make you hate it despite the taste."

"Yeah, I know." Sari sighed.

Once they got outside Optimus plucked Sari off his shoulder before transforming and encasing her snugly in his cab. Following her directions they arrived at the restaurant quickly. It was an older restaurant that Optimus remembered from his Academy days. He remembered that it was a reasonably priced place with good energon and quite a selection of other snacks.

Upon entering they were immediately shown to a table and Sari was given a booster to sit on once they requested it. They studied their menu's in silence for a while before Sari spoke up.

"Are there…are there no kids on Cybertron?" She asked hesitantly, her voice soft.

"Without the AllSpark and with many of the protoforms stolen there haven't been many sparklings." Optimus told her.

"Can you not have kids…sparklings without the AllSpark?" Sari asked.

"We can but it is very rare and can take hundreds of stellar cycles." Optimus told her. "When we…um…"

"I know about interfacing and sparking." Sari snorted. "I get that you guys really didn't want to have that talk with me but Metaldrive did."

"We really should have once you upgraded, but we had a hard time thinking of you as…an adult." Optimus apologized.

"Don't worry about it." Sari said dismissively. "I actually kinda prefer that Metaldrive was the one to tell me about it. It was a lot less awkward that it would have been if one of you guys had done it."

"So can the AllSpark make it…easier to have sparklings?" Sari asked.

"Yes." Optimus answered, hopeful that the AllSpark might be capable of providing newsparks once again. "A bonded pair may approach the AllSpark and receive a blessing. Blessed pairs are almost guaranteed to spark within a decacycle if they choose."

"So me seeing images of bots kneeling in front of the AllSpark could be them being blessed? What about the ones that bring in the protoforms?" Sari asked. "I mean, I already know that they are used to form sparklings. Why is it showing that to me?"

"It is very likely that the AllSpark is showing you bots being blessed." Optimus responded feeling almost giddy. "The images of the protoforms could be the AllSpark's way of saying it is ready to start creating newsparks."

"It could be. I guess we'll have to try and find out. You seem pretty excited about it." Sari observed, tilting her head to the side a bit.

"When I said there haven't been many sparklings, I meant it. Most bots, bonded or not, have been extremely lucky to spark even one time since the AllSpark was lost." Optimus told her.

"Wow. I knew the AllSpark was a big deal I just didn't realize how big of a deal." Sari admitted. "So how do we go about opening up the new temple?"

"We will need to speak with Ultra Magnus and the council about that." Optimus told her. "It is likely that they will require some proof that you really are the Speaker and that the AllSpark is ready."

"Great. So basically I have to show off for them, hope I do okay, and hope that they aren't organic haters." Sari grumbled.

"You'll do fine Sari." Optimus reassured her. "You've done really well interpreting the AllSpark on your own." Sari frowned at that.

"Yeah. Well, about that. There's one thing it keeps showing me that I'm not sure about." Sari told him quietly. "It's…there's a bot in front of the AllSpark, except he's got stasis cuffs on and I can't see his face. And there are a whole lot of other bots in the room including you and Ultra Magnus. I mean, it doesn't look like the others, where just a bot or two are in the room. For a blessing. It's…" Sari trails off and Optimus considers what she's said for a cycle.

"Perhaps it's…an AllSpark tribunal." Optimus offers up quietly.

"What's that?" Sari asks looking a bit nervous. "It doesn't sound nice."

"The AllSpark normally grants life, but on rare occasions, when the offense is severe the AllSpark has been known to…take sparks." Optimus quietly informed her, uncertain of both the conclusion and her reaction.

"You mean it kills…offlines bots? Without a trial?" Sari looked offended and a bit queasy.

"Not without a trial. The AllSpark questions a witness. Looks into their memories and into the memories of the accused. It analyzes their spark you could say. I can't be certain what the AllSparks…judgements are based on, but bots brought before it in a tribunal are not always offlined." Optimus explained. "There have been some bots let go or pardoned. The datapads on it merely said that the AllSpark found their sparks pure or remorseful enough to declare them innocent or forgive their crimes."

"But that doesn't tell me who that bot is and why everyone is there." Sari pointed out.

"Was it a Decepticon?" Optimus asked.

"No. The colors were wrong. The bot is all green and orange from what I could see." Sari told him, frowning and squinting her eyes a bit, obviously trying to dissect the image.

"We will have to do some research then." Optimus concluded.

"Yeah, I suppose so." Sari sighed, finally inputing her order.

Optimus quickly ordered as well. He was a bit concerned for Sari. She was doing well so far, but the stress of trying to always correctly interpret the AllSpark and potential to be exposed to dangerous bots made him worry.

* * *

Little bots! Little bots! Heh. No battles in this chappy though. :( Next chapter likely though.

**Wolf Prime:** I do feel a little bad for doing that to him...not. :P And I like his frame as well. Haven't seen TF: Prime, but from the fanart I like his frame in that as well. Sorry no fight scene here, but a little scuffle planned for the next chappy. :D Thanks for another review! Made sure I got some sort of chapter up like I said I would. XD

**Sounddrive:** Yes, Optimus is not fond of being groped. Tis why he kept his Earth mode. Still a hot aft tho. And a bit more Bee and Bulkhead! Couldn't just throw them in for a teensy bit and forget about them. :) Thanks for another review!

**SavvyEnigma:** His original Cybertronian form (as seen in the first episodes and in flashbacks) had clear/blue glass looking chestplates. :) If you look for images of Cybertronian Optimus you'll see it. Thanks for another review! Just gotta torment the hot bot. :P

**scrin99:** Oops? :P The 'Cons are just a bit more...obvious about lusting after a bot. And perhaps one of them is a femme. :D Thanks for the review. Sorry about the imagery. )

**Optimus'girl:** Nope, Bee and Bulkhead are too veteran to be grievously wounded by the Dcons. Yes, bad Dcons. Their admiring of the 'hot aft Prime' cost them the battle maybe. :P Dcons are very pervy. I'll probably watch TF: Prime at some point. If I get inspired I'll write something. No promises though. Thanks for another review! Enjoy the update. :D


	20. Peril

Well, it seems that this one took forever. Not really, but it was a bit more difficult to write than I had hoped. Bit of a fight. And a whole lot of Optimus strangeness.

* * *

**Chapter 20: Peril**

.

Nearly a decacycle later Optimus onlined in the middle of the night cycle to a stabbing pain in his processor and the feeling of something digging in to his sides viciously. Abruptly onlining his optics he is met with the sight of a hacking drone perched atop his frame, cables stabbing into his helm, cruel spear like appendages buried in his armor. Its single amber optical band is lit dully, the pupil a bright pinprick against its dark segmented body.

Immediately Optimus reached for his subspace, only to have the movement parried by the drone, several more appendages emerging from the body to try to hold him immobile. Thrashing abruptly, Optimus managed to roll them both off the berth, landing on the floor hard on his side. The impact did minor damage both to Optimus and the drone but did not dislodge the bot. Optimus continued to fight to free his arms, bringing his knees up to attempt to wedge them under the drone and pry it off of him. Given its limited intelligence capacity, the drone met this new attack and shifted its focus unintentionally freeing Optimus' arms.

While he fought Optimus could feel the drone ripping at his processors. His firewalls were more advanced than most civilian bots, but even they were not capable of standing up to extensive and sustained hacking. Even a drone could break them with enough time. Luckily it seemed this one had not been programmed for stealth and Optimus' firewalls had not been breached while he was recharging. It also seemed that whoever had programmed it was intent on doing more damage, hacking by brute force rather than with superior code and less detectable methods.

Viruses, programs, and code altering packets were being bombarded on his firewalls from every breach and cable. Even as he physically fought the drone he was also fighting it in his processors, trying to strengthen his weakening defenses, throwing up patches and activating anti-hacking programs. The drone just kept at it. The drone sent a surge through his circuits, attempting to overload his defenses. Optimus rerouted functions even as circuits burned out, fighting to keep one step ahead of the drone. An abrupt focused attack weakened the firewall protecting his motor functions. Even as Optimus rushed to strengthen the firewalls there, the drone was unleashing another pointed attack, this time focusing on the area of the firewall that protected his core programming. Redirecting himself, Optimus hurried to throw up more protections, unleashing more vigorous anti-hacking programs at the drone. It hardly seemed to slow the drone at all.

With a grunt of effort, Optimus managed to dislodge two more of the sharp appendages from his arms, adding to the dents and tears in his armor, and finally got to his axe. As he swung at the drone, slicing off several of its appendages, a segment of his firewalls cracked, and the drone pushed its hacking programs through the weakness and into his processor almost literally tearing at his programming while releasing all sorts of code alterations. The drone was neither elegant nor subtle, even when confronted by his sensitive programming, still brutalizing and mass uploading. Swinging again, Optimus deliberately sliced through the hacking cables this time, stopping the intrusion in his processor. Unfortunately it did nothing to stop the coding that continued to slide through his processor like an organic ooze.

One last slice of his axe left it imbedded in the drone's frame, pinning it to the floor. Backing away as cautiously as he could, Optimus saw the trail of brightly glowing energon on the floor and looked down to see it leaking out of several holes in his chassis. For several long nanokliks he stared at it, entranced by the way it trickled down his armor and formed ever slowly widening pools on the floor that were unnaturally bright in the darkness.

Suddenly servos gripped his frame. Spinning quickly, Optimus slammed his new opponent into the wall without resistance. Raising a fist he started to strike at this new threat when his battered processor formed recognition of the frame in front of him. The orange and gold of Smoulder's armor stood out in the darkness, his servos raised in a gesture of unarmed surrender. Optimus watched as his lip components moving, his processor taking far too long to catch up with the current events.

"Optimus? Optimus can you hear me? I'm not going to hurt you." Smoulder was speaking in a low, even voice, not a hint of fear.

"S-sm..l..er." Optimus' vocal processor staticked and clipped the name.

"Yes, it's me. Just take it easy Optimus. I won't hurt you." Smoulder said again, and Optimus blinked his optics several times, trying to process that.

Smoulder wasn't going to hurt him, he knew that. But he didn't understand why he repeated that. The first time he knew it was because he attacked. Yes, that made sense. But they were just talking now. So why did he think Optimus thought he think he thought…hurt…be hurt by him? Everything really was quite pretty. Smoulder's armor practically glowed in the darkness. Vaguely he wondered if Smoulder had luminescent paint. Maybe it was energon based so it glowed in the dark. Could they make it visc…os…liquidy?

Optimus felt Smoulder gently move his servos and realized he had still been pinning the bot to the wall. Oh. Maybe that was it. He really needed to readjust his sensors 'cause it felt like he was in a particularly strong whirlpool but he could feel his peds on the floor. He giggled as they swirled through the room. A sharp tap on his uninjured shoulder plating made him focus his optics on Smoulder's.

"Stay with me Optimus." Smoulder said vocals slightly more tense this time.

"Whe-where…would I…go?" Optimus wondered aloud, marveling at the fact he was sitting now and could play with the energon puddles on the floor near him.

His musings were interrupted as Smoulder made a comm. call.

"Autobot Command? Yes. My name is Smoulder. I'd like to report an attack on Optimus Prime…" Smoulder kept talking but Optimus tuned him out.

Command. Holes in his armor. He really should call First Aid. This would probably count as a situation where medical attention was necessary and he might get in trouble if he didn't call. Raising a servo to activate his comm. he was distracted by several neat holes that went straight through his armor. Smirking he peered through them. This was fun!

"Optimus." Smoulder said tapping his shoulder again. "Come on Optimus. Focus." Optimus looked at him, noticing how brightly Smoulder's optics blazed in the no longer quite as dark apartment. "Yes, and he was hard-line hacked. It looks bad. The drone is…"

Smoulder pushed Optimus' arm away and reached for some of the damage to his lower chestplates, still talking on an open comm. line. Optimus watched those gold servos reach inside his armor, marveling at the way they flexed and shifted, emerging glowing. Everything was so bright. He liked this. Then a sharp twinge of pain reminded him that he was calling First Aid. He really had a lot of holes in him. Why didn't they hurt more? Whatever.

"F-firrs..Aid?" Optimus managed to stutter as the comm. line opened, voice wavering and static laced.

"It's okay Optimus." First Aid's calm voice answered immediately. "I'm already on my way. I'll be there soon."

"O..k.." Optimus ground out as the comm. line closed from the other end. With no reason to keep it up, Optimus let his arm drop and his processors wander.

Sari had been spending a lot of time with the AllSpark lately. Had it shown her anything new? Maybe he should get her something new. New things were nice. And shiny. He should polish himself and be shiny more. But he'd probably still get it all scuffed a lot. In the office he wouldn't get scuffed and he could have Bluestreak…he was probably worried. Unless nobot had alerted him yet. Did they call secretarybots when their bosses got ambushed? Cybertron didn't have bushes. Sari probably missed the organic nature that she'd always been surrounded by. Maybe the AllSpark showed her some when she wanted to see Earth again. She hadn't called him to help her with any new images. Disappointing. Oh, hey, Cliffjumper was being promoted tomorrow. He was already in charge of the Intelligence Department, so hey, why not officially make him a Prime. So they were. Ultra Magnus had just wanted to make sure Cliffjumper really wanted the position. And probably to clean out the office. Messy messy with all the slag Shockwave left behind. Optimus' creators never let him get away with anything other than a clean room. They were very organized bots. No clutter. None at all. Well…knick knacks. There were knick knacks. And the garden wasn't very clean. Optimus would have liked to have taken care of it, but he hadn't known anything about taking care of a garden. Which crystals were edible? They looked pretty when made edible. After traveling several planets Optimus had recognized some of the mineral growths. Perhaps he would have…

Pain blossomed in his processor, echoing the pain pulsing through his frame. The inserted code was infecting his memory files, winding through them, bringing up whichever memories it touched. He still couldn't tell what its purpose was. Hopefully it could be removed before it did any severe damage or reprogrammed him into…well…anything.

Somebot was tapping at his shoulder again. Refocusing he saw Smoulder, servos still fiddling in his chassis, but several Guardbots were behind him, First Aid crouching near his shoulder, optics focused on Optimus'.

"...and he's been semi-responsive ever since. I'm not sure he's feeling the pain just yet." Smoulder was telling First Aid who nodded.

"He's in shock. Not surprising given his injuries and the hack." First Aid said quietly before addressing Optimus. "Optimus? Can you hear me?"

"Ye..es-s." Optimus managed. Why was it so hard to answer? The code hadn't gone after his vocal processors…had it? He was about to try to run a systems diagnostic when he was tapped again. What was up with tapping him over and over? It was hard to keep a thought when…the tapping came again and he snapped his focus back to First Aid, noticing Cliffjumper and Ultra Magnus were there.

"Optimus? Come on Optimus. Focus." First Aid told him, and he locked optics with the medic again. "Good. Just keep focused on me. That's it. We need to scan your processors and see if it's safe for you to go into stasis."

Safe for stasis? Optimus' processors dragged as programs fought to work through the damage. Oh. That's what he meant. He supposed they were concerned he would have a negative reaction to having his processors accessed. Maybe when he could process things adequately again he would be a bit leery of it but for now he was rather…apathetic.

"O-oka..." Optimus finally decided that even if he wasn't actively feeling the pain it must be causing his vocalizer to glitch. Unless the drone had hacked it too. Huh…he didn't think it had…but he hadn't tried to make any noise while fighting the drone. Why would he? There was nobot to call to. Well…Smoulder was here but he hadn't considered calling out to the fire brigade bot. He guessed the bot must have been home. His home was probably a mess now. All glowy and filled with bots. Why so many? Only one drone.

He felt something connect to his systems through the shredded web of coding that still connected him to his frame. The intrusion was smooth, like new armor, polished and elegant. Well, it was until it actually got into his processor. After that it was trying to just move around through the attacking coding and Optimus' programming.

Cursing resounded from several vocal processors near Optimus. "This is bad. This is very bad. We have to get him to the Central Infirmary now." First Aid snapped. He sounded upset. Optimus hadn't heard him upset. What did he do this time? He'd called for First Aid, hadn't he? He thought he had. But he couldn't think…

Agony lanced through Optimus circuits and he thought he might have screamed. Then again, maybe he was just screaming in his processor. Slag. More surges rolled through his circuits, pushing the pain through his frame. There was more cursing around Optimus. Geez. Everybot was angry today. Tonight…when was it again?

"Slaggit!" More cursing. First Aid really needed to watch his mouth. "He's surging!" Optimus supposed he really should know what that meant, but he couldn't concentrate anymore, not with the stabbing, grinding pain winding its way through his processor and frame. "Hold him down. The transportbot should be here soon."

Servos gripped his frame, holding him tight, Optimus hurting and numb to the touch all at the same time. For a moment Optimus could think. And he was scared. Terrified. He had never lost control over his frame and processors like this. Ever. Everything was mangled and damaged beyond coherency. And there was nothing he could do to help himself. Nothing he could do to stop this. Onlining his optics, even though he didn't remember offlining them, he caught sight of the bots holding him from spasming and hurting himself. Ultra Magnus was to his right, pressing his shoulder and arm to the ground even as they jerked beneath his servos. Their optics met briefly before Optimus' moment of coherency was gone, falling back into the destroyed mess of his processor.

* * *

Optimus lay in the medical berth, unsure how long he had been incapacitated. The malicious coding and programs had chewed up many of the memory files from the event. He could only recall small segments of memory files from after he had been loaded into the transportbot. Somehow he had remained partially conscious. Or at least he remembered it as such. The whole time he had relived memory after memory, programs had initialized and then failed, and his circuits had withstood massive surging. The last thing he clearly remembered was First Aid putting medical restraints on him for transport. Restraints much like stasis cuffs except without the jolt that would have offlined him, even temporarily.

Lifting a servo, Optimus rubbed his optics, aware of the dull aching in his processor. He hadn't seen any medics since he had become aware. He couldn't call it onlining since his boot sequence hadn't been initialized when he noticed his surroundings. There was the possibility that his processors had simply gone into standby.

The familiar sound of a door opening caught Optimus' attention and he sat up to look at the door. The motion brought to his attention the few cables still attached to his helm. Apparently he wasn't completely fixed just yet.

"I see you're up finally." A familiar voice grumped from the doorway.

Surprised Optimus snapped his optics back to the door, seeing that Ratchet was indeed standing there, arms crossed over his chest and frowning like usual.

"Ratchet!" Optimus smiled, glad to see his friend and medic. "When did you get back?"

"This morning, just in time to find out you had all of the medical codebots up the entire night cycle trying to fix your damaged processor." Ratchet came closer, tapping an access panel on his arm demanding access for a scan. "You certainly attract trouble Prime."

"Does anybot know who sent the drone? It didn't seem to be after anything specific." Optimus immediately went into work mode. If it was just there for an assassination attempt there was the distinct possibility that the Magnus and other Primes were in danger.

"Before you ask, Ultra Magnus' security has been increased along with most of the Primes." Ratchet told him while scanning his systems. Optimus would have thought that the cables still connected would have done the same but Ratchet was old fashioned and likely just wanted his own scans. "But even if they did know who sent the drone they wouldn't tell me. I'm just a medic."

Optimus frowned and was about to reply when one of the consoles beside him beeped and flashed red highlighted code across the screen. Ratchet sighed.

"Seven megacycles of work and we're still finding code errors." Ratchet groused tapping at the console.

A cycle later the door opened to admit First Aid. Optimus was surprised when he was the bot to go to the console and assist Ratchet with the code adjustment.

"You're a medical codebot?" Optimus asked.

"I am a trained Medic with an extended education in hacking and code fixes, so yes and no." First Aid responded, turning briefly to smile at Optimus before refocusing his attention on the console in front of him.

Now that he was fully aware Optimus could feel the shifting of code in his processor and, while not as violent and aggressive as the drone, he wasn't entirely comfortable with the feeling. He tried to hide his discomfort at the feeling, but with both of them watching his code he knew they'd be aware of it anyway. Sure enough, Ratchet glanced back at him after a moment and Optimus flicked his optics away.

Ratchet moved over to the berth and placed a servo on Optimus' shoulderplates. "I can put you in a light stasis if you'd prefer." The offer was made out of concern and caring but Optimus shook his head.

"No. I need to be aware. I can't remain uncomfortable about this." Optimus told him firmly.

Ratchet snorted and Optimus felt them queue up his recharge program and initialize it.

"Just because you're a Prime doesn't mean you should be a 'toughbot' about it." Ratchet informed him succinctly before dropping Optimus into recharge.

* * *

More damaged Optimus, ne? o_O He's fun like that.

**Wolf Prime: ** Still a mystery, unfortunately, but we'll get there. ;) Some action, but not all the usual battle. Hope you still liked it. ^.^ I saw a funny clip from TF: Prime and am definitely going to watch it. In a bit. :P Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoyed the update!

**Optimus'girl:** Most bots like to proposition Optimus. Dcons just don't do subtle or backing off. Nah, Bee hasn't made any offers to Optimus. He's just a teenage brat. :P Yes, hot Optimus to distract the Dcons. :P Megatron is in the stockades so he's definitely not going to be with Megatron. Bee's his team. Being in your teams business whether or not you like it is what their team does. Glad you liked it. Thanks for the review!

**Sounddrive: **Yep, not many sparklings. But with the AllSpark back, things may change. :D Safe Bee and Bulkhead. Thanks for the review!

**Scrin99:** Yep, there was a chappy where he didn't get injured. But that's all over with this chappy. No worries though. I'll have more chapters without an injured/stressed Optimus. ^.^ But I have to have a bit of…insanity. :P Thanks for another review!

**SailorMoon20114486:** Thanks! :D


	21. The Past, Presently

Ugh...uber uber late update. I really apologize. Got a bit stuck and then wrote a one shot...that I haven't posted yet...and started working on another (same idea, different events.) :P Anyways, here this is now. A bit longer than typical. Enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 21: The Past, Presently**

.

Optimus woke slowly, several voices soft in the background. He onlined his optics and blinked at the ceiling for a moment. The voices silenced after a moment.

"Optimus?" Sari asked quietly, popping into his field of vision.

"Hi Sari." Optimus greeted, smiling.

"Are you feeling better now?" she asked.

"Much better." Optimus answered.

"Good." She said, smiling before her face fell and optical lubricants filled her organic optics. "Don't do that again. When Ratchet called…" She sniffed rubbing her arm across her optics.

"I'm sorry." Optimus apologized softly.

Sari shook her head, still sniffing and wiping her optics. "No, it's not your fault. I'm just…"

Optimus reached up and pet one finger down her back as comfortingly as he could until she stopped leaking.

"You're moving apartments, today, and you're getting a bodyguard, maybe two or three, and…" Sari told him, voice still wavering slightly.

"Sari!" Optimus interrupted. "I don't…"

"This time you don't have a choice in the matter." Ultra Magnus' voice interrupted him from the side and Optimus turned to look at him, simultaneously surprised to see him there and embarrassed he hadn't noticed him before. Now that he was paying attention he also saw Ratchet seated not too far from Ultra. "Your apartment is compromised and you are becoming an increasingly sought after target. Until appropriate housing is arranged and secured you _will_ be staying on base in the housing sector. You will be allowed, with guards, to return to your apartment and pack your things."

"Yes sir." Optimus conceded. Although he wasn't overly fond of the idea, he could see the point. He only hoped this wouldn't get too out of hand. He only hoped they didn't attempt to give him an estate like he knew the Magnus had. Or insist he always have a bodyguard. Ultra didn't even have one. Not since the Great War. Sure, he lived with heavy security at his home and at Autobot Command, but he wasn't required to have security going to and from each location, or even when he went out for energon and supplies.

"It really is for your own protection, Prime." Ratchet chimed in.

"I know," Optimus told him, "but I can't help but think it's a bit…too much."

Ultra abruptly leaned forward, servo gripping Optimus' shoulder. "You are my Second in Command, you defeated Megatron, and are held in high regard now. An attack on you, whether or not it leads to your offlining, is a blow, not only to Autobot forces, but the morale and confidence of all our citizens. I should have ordered protection even when you turned it down before." Ultra told him with a level of conviction Optimus hadn't heard from the bot in some time.

"But you don't have a personal bodyguard!" Optimus blurted before he could properly censor himself.

"It would seem that way, but I have caught many an Elite Guard tailing me wherever I go." Ultra smirked at Optimus then. "I have even caught a few cadets doing the same."

Optimus looked away, embarrassed, remembering those times while in the Academy when he had tailed Ultra Magnus out of concern for his safety. "I…I see your point." Optimus half-mumbled. He had actually forgotten about those incidents, now realizing he had been lucky he had not been reprimanded for leaving the Academy grounds without proper leave and quite possibly appearing like a stalkerbot when following Ultra Magnus.

"Wait…you followed Ultra Magnus around when you were a cadet?" Sari asked, giving him a bemused smile.

"I was…concerned. He never had security." Optimus protested, trying not to sound like some creeperbot. "Lots of cadets did it."

"Actually, not as many cadets as you might think." Ultra rebutted smoothly.

Optimus' systems were almost overheated with embarrassment as Sari smirked at him again and Ratchet laughed into his servo. He had honestly thought that lots of cadets followed the Magnus around when they could. With a soft groan Optimus covered his faceplates with a servo.

"Can we discuss something different, please?" He pleaded softly, not sure how much more embarrassment he could handle right now.

Ratchet stood and approached him, medical datapad out and ready. "Well, you still need a full scan and then you will be released to go, _with guard_, to your apartment to clean it out."

Optimus obediently opened a dataport for Ratchet to connect to before turning to Ultra.

"Sir," Ultra gave him a look. "Ultra, why are you here?" Optimus immediately cringed a bit at his own question, hastening to make it more appropriate. "Not that I don't want you here, but I know you have other work you could be doing instead of sitting..."

Ultra raised a servo to cut him off. "I came to check on you and ended up in a discussion with Sari."

Optimus opened his mouth to say something but caught the serious and hesitant look on Sari's face. She chewed restlessly on her lower lip component and Optimus became worried.

"Sari?" He asked softly. "What's wrong?"

"Well…um…we were talking about, you know, the visions I get from the AllSpark, and, well, Ultra Magnus agreed on the whole tribunal thing, and because he was around before the AllSpark left Cybertron he knew what the placement of each bot meant and…" Sari trailed off.

"And what Sari?" Optimus asked.

"Well, we identified the bot because Ratchet had some idea why and Ultra Magnus looked up the records." Sari told him confusingly.

"So Ratchet was able to identify the bot?" Optimus asked, not entirely sure why she was so worried.

"No, it was because," Sari trailed off for a moment before taking a deep breath and continuing in a rush, "the bot in the witness position was you and Ratchet said he'd made you tell him about some of the locked memory files he'd stumbled across because of the damage and…we…we put all of the information together."

Optimus froze, frame tense. "You told?" Optimus asked Ratchet, vocalizer glitching slightly at the effort it took to use it. "You weren't supposed to…"

"I made him!" Sari interjected. "The images, the AllSpark was getting so much more insistent about it, and when we started putting the pieces together Ultra Magnus told us that Bolter's due to be released from the stockades in a decacycle!"

"He's…been arrested?" Optimus asked.

"The bot, Bolter, was arrested on charges of harassment for pursuing a bot here on Cybertron beyond acceptable bounds." Ultra told him. "But we need to know what he's done before we can but a case before the courts and the council to present him before the AllSpark for punishment."

Optimus' venting hitched. He did not want to have to actually relate the tale. Ratchet had seen a few snippets of those memories while doing repairs and deep scanning. Optimus had been forced to explain vaguely to Ratchet the circumstances of some of those memories and his fear of that bot, but he hadn't related the whole story. Nor did he want to.

"Optimus please." Sari encouraged quietly. Optimus sat up, drawing his knees to his chest.

Taking a deep in-vent he began to speak. "You know that bots still live on the moons of Moriturus. One of those moons, Sepika, is largely controlled by Bolter, even though a council exists. He…runs all of the brothels and prostibot services there. All of the 'pretty bots' are…convinced into his service. The council and policebots either willingly ignore his practices or are…otherwise influenced to stay out of his business. My creators kept me inside almost all the time until I had to go to the Learning Center. Even there, the pretty bots grouped together. Older sparklings warned us off making friends with others because they could be convinced to lead us to Bolter for…favors later." Optimus shuddered, remembering those days, before he was Optimus and before he was Orion, back when he was named Pax.

* * *

Pax walked with his group, slowly heading away from the Learning Center and towards the pick-up point. No pretty bot ever walked alone, and because they couldn't even walk in pairs as young as they were, they headed to a neutral location to stay until their creators would arrive to take them home. This solar cycle was no different. Until they reached the building. As soon as they entered they could almost feel the wrongness of the situation, but before they could turn and run they were surrounded.

Bolter approached, smirking as they kicked, screamed, and tried vainly to escape the grasps of his minions. None of them were big enough or strong enough to escape him.

"Well, I really must thank you, all grouping together like this. You make recruitment go so much faster." Bolter laughed, eyeing their frames hungrily.

"Get away from us!" One sparkling, Ramside, shouted only to yelp when one of Bolters many minions yanked his arm, snarling at him to shut it.

"Oh, don't worry." Bolder said, his voice chilling and dangerous. "You're all my property now, and I take good care of my property. When it serves me well." He signaled to his men who then picked up the sparklings, one for each, and shoved them into their subspace.

Pax screamed as he was forced into the cold, dark space, fighting to escape, but he was no match for the stronger bot who held him, and astrokliks later he was fully inside and the servo that put him there withdrew. He panicked, venting ragged, kicking and fighting still, trying to do anything to escape the suffocating darkness. There were no hard boundaries, but he could feel the flexible bounds of the space. Over and over he tried scratching, grabbing, and pushing at them to no avail, his screams and cries absorbed into the silence.

He didn't know how long he was in there, but it seemed like forever to his small processor. Finally he was pulled out. The lights blinded him and the heat was now stifling. Belatedly he started fighting but it was no use. Pax was pinned to a table of some sort by two bots while another approached him with a syringe. Even as he screamed at them to stop he was stabbed and injected with something sickly blue-green colored.

Within nanokliks the world became blurred, colors swirling around, voices whispering in his audios, his frame heated. Pax barely felt it when he was thrown onto the floor. Blearily he managed to notice other sparklings in there with him. It took several cycles before he recognized the other sparklings he had been botnapped with. Some of them, like him, were lying in crumpled heaps on the floor while others sat up, staring at the walls and chasing nothing.

Then things got beyond his comprehension. One moment he was flying through a sea of orange and chartreuse space, then he was falling through a kaleidoscope, chasing purple petrorabbits, and then talking with the pink walls.

The only moment of coherency he had in a long time of hallucinations, colors, and sickness was when he was picked up and shaken, somebot screaming in his audios far too loudly for him to understand. He was dropped again, whimpering when his over-sensitized plating hit the cold floor. Words floated through his processor but none of them held any true meaning to him. Until that one.

Overdosed.

Pax knew what that meant. They had been going through higher level vocabulary the previous decacycle. He remembered that as one of the words that had somehow, he didn't remember now, been related to oversaturated. Maybe it was a synonym? But he kinda remembered that some other sparkling had brought it up. Now it was hard to remember. The green and gold narliphants were talking to him again.

It might have been megacycles or solar cycles later that Pax finally regained some semblance of control over his processor, his systems finally beginning to filter the drug. Yet he almost wished he was still hallucinating because the screams and cries of the other sparklings were infinitely. His attention was drawn to the sparkling whose chestplates were being forced open. Pax froze in horror, thinking he was about to see his friend and classmate sparkraped, but the bot merely seemed to be examining his spark, running scanning equipment over it several times. The bot didn't even bother to close the sparklings plates as he moved on to the next, and the previous sparkling, one he recognized now as Dugbolt, was too drugged and distressed to close them properly.

One by one he moved through the sparklings until he came to Pax, forcing his plates to open and scanning his spark, chamber, and wiring. He tried to snap his plates closed several times, until the bot merely shoved a servo in and held them open, slapping him across the face. Stunned, he slumped back. Finally the bot released him and moved on to the last sparkling. Pax found himself sobbing as he tried to close his plates, only to discover that the gears were now broken from the repeated forcing open.

For several cycles he tried to close them, even managing to raise his arms and try to push them closed with no success. He didn't even notice the other sparkling until his servos were removed from his plates and the other sparklings were put in their place, forcing his plates to close. Looking up, Pax met the optics of one of the older sparklings, Blazer. Slowly Blazer drew him into a hug, the older sparklings plating cool and comforting on his which was still overheated.

The hallucinations and colors faded to pain, sensitivity, heat followed by cold, and horribly upset tanks. None of the sparklings were unaffected, and slowly they managed to crawl to each other, forming one large group in the center of the plain room. Weakly they clung to each other. Even though they had been given energon some time ago, none had drank any of it, too sick and wary to even attempt.

Several adult bots came and went, each either picking a sparkling up and forcibly scanning them, or trying to force them to fuel. They stayed together and fought back as much as their tormented frames allowed. Watching them come and go they realized that, while the door wasn't locked, none of them had the strength to get to it, much less open it an escape. Slowly, whatever hope they bore began to fade, the door taunting them each nanoklik.

Surprisingly, after a long time alone, the door opened to a bot who was neither one of Bolter's minions or his medics. Instead, a bot wearing the colors and markings of the Sepika Policebots entered quickly with the air of one who was not supposed to be there. The sparklings started to speak to him only to have him shush them.

"I'm here to get you out but you _have to be quiet_." The bot whispered. "You have to trust me. Please."

He picked as many of them up as he could, transforming and placing them in his cargo area. He was a small tankbot model but there was still enough room for them to squeeze in. Hastily the sparklings in the back reached out to help the few still on the floor clamber into the back of the bot. As soon as their limbs were barely inside the bot closed his doors and took off.

Inside the sparklings offered prayers to Primus. They could only hope that the bot would actually take them out of this place. Each also knew it might be a trap, but given their situation, none of them had anything to lose. It was either take a risk and possibly get out, or just get further in.

They could feel the changes in the terrain as the bot drove and the longer he drove the more hope they had that he truly was taking them away. Finally, after perhaps a megacycle's drive, he stopped, opening his doors. Inside, the sparklings were blinded by the sudden _bright_ light. They were outside. Somewhere. Crawling out hesitantly, the first sparkling barely got his peds on the ground when he was scooped up. The other sparklings froze.

"Shadewing!" An excited voice cried and they could hear the excited and familiar trill of Shadewing as he greeted his creators.

Scrambling, they all poured out the doors as fast as they could, each immediately scooped up by their creators and held close. Pax held on to his creators armor as tight as possible, unable to form any words, only cry as much as he possibly could as weak and worn out as he was.

"You'll all need to keep them hidden or leave." The policebot said, transforming. "Bolter won't leave them be if he sees them again."

There was murmuring among the creators and slowly they broke up, each holding their sparklings tightly as they departed. Pax still clung to Divedown, refusing to loosen his grip. His creators swiftly made their way to a space dock nearby.

"Pax, sparkling, you have to let go now." Iceblaze told him quietly, but after just so recently having been reunited he didn't want to.

Carefully Divedown peeled Pax's servos off his armor.

"I'm sorry about this, sparkling, but we have to get you off the planet without being seen." Divedown apologized before carefully wrapping Pax in a woven metal blanket before carefully placing him in his subspace.

* * *

"We took several ships to different planets to keep from leaving a trail. My creators changed their designations for each trip. On Nintenduu LXIV they visited an AllSpark shrine and claimed I'd been onlined there. My designation was changed to Orion. We stayed a few decacycles on that planet before moving into Autobot space, to Daffodil II." Optimus finished his story quietly. "I still don't know who that bot was. I never got to thank him."

Sari was now seated on his knee, patting it softly. Ratchet and Ultra Magnus had moved to either side of him and were offering comfort, Ratchet's being a gentle servo on his shoulder, Ultra rubbing his backplates.

"They put you in their subspace after you'd been kidnapped that way?" Sari asked, horrified.

"We had to leave, immediately, and they didn't know until later." Optimus defended them while still cringing at the memory. Even wrapped in a blanket, an energon cube in there for him, it had been terrifying and lonely.

"I will present a case to the council based on what you have told us." Ultra said softly. "Given your account, his crimes on Cybertron , and the Speaker's insistence the council should be able to be convinced to authorize a tribunal."

"You're going to tell them?" Optimus asked, optics wide.

"Your designation will be kept out of any documentation and the council will not be informed until the tribunal itself." Ultra assured him.

Ratchet huffed angrily. "The council shouldn't be needed to slagging authorize a tribunal if the AllSpark demands one."

"I agree, but given the length of time without the AllSpark or a Speaker the council needs to be reminded of this. Unfortunately they are often difficult to convince." Ultra reminded them, standing. "The council meets in twenty cycles. I shall take my leave." With a nod to each of them Ultra strode out of the room.

"There are so many others who would be better witnesses." Optimus murmured softly.

"But you're here." Sari said. "And the AllSpark wants him punished. As much as it likes bots to…y'know, enjoy their sparks, it doesn't like bots being forced into brothels."

Optimus shuddered slightly and Ratchet squeezed his shoulder slightly.

"Is there anything you still had questions about?" Optimus asked Sari, trying to change the subject.

"No, that was all the AllSpark has been showing me the last few days." Sari answered. "Why don't you get some sleep, or recharge as you bots call it."

"Because I just woke up, remember?" Optimus reminded her, raising an optic ridge.

"Oh, yeah, right." Sari looked a bit sheepish. "Well, then, um…wanna play Ninja Gladiator? I have my console at my place…"

"I'm really not any good at those games." Optimus admitted. "Would you like to come and help me clean out my apartment?"

"Sure!" Sari perked up at that. "But we have to wait for your guards."

"I know." Optimus sighed.

"They should be here soon." Ratchet assured them. A few cycles later there was a knock on the door.

Gungrey and Chargeup saluted as they stepped through the door, smirking slightly at Optimus' surprised expression. He wasn't sure who he had been expecting, but certainly not these two.

"We're ready to go whenever you are, sir." Chargeup told him.

Optimus smiled as he slid off the medical berth, holding out a servo for Sari. "Now is good."

* * *

**Wolf Prime:** Well, mystery not solved...yet. It will eventually. :) Sorry this took so long. Have some background. ^.^ Glad you're enjoying this still.

**Optimus'girl:** You'll find out who later. :) Circuit and programming damage caused the surges. :) Better keep the dcons away from you. :P Glad you like the story still. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

**SavvyEnigma:** ...'cause I love to torture Optimus? :P See? He's okay...just not so happy at the moment... thanks for the review. :D

**scrin99:** Well...sort of :P FLUFF! XD Fluff and bots is fun. Thanks for another review.

**Sounddrive:** It is a drone meant to surprise and hack bots so it has to be able to pin them down for a while. Think many many limbs and no pain receptors. o_o Nasty drone. It wanted... well, you'll find out later.


	22. Moving Time

Bluh...I meant to post this sooner but I had other stuff to do and it got pushed back pretty late indeed. :\ Kind of a short chappy here.

* * *

**Chapter 22: Moving Time**

.

Overall it hadn't taken long to pack up Optimus' old apartment. Thankfully the energon had been cleaned up and the only real indications of the incident were the axe marks on the floor and the missing door. Gungrey had stayed at the door while Chargeup helped Sari and Optimus pack.

Truthfully Optimus found he was more embarassed about their help than he had thought he would be. The usual datapads and everything were no big deal, but his personal items, mementos and trinkets were a bit more awkward and he wasn't entirely sure he liked them seeing them. Especially when Sari pulled out the only woven metal blanket he had ever owned. It was patchy and worn from so many stellar cycles of use.

Embarrassedly he stuffed it into his subspace, hoping that the other bots hadn't noticed it. Unfortunately Sari wasn't about to let it go.

"Is that like your favorite blankie or something?" She asked, smirking.

"No, it's my only blanket." Optimus answered softly.

"Well, then, why don't you get another one?" Sari asked.

"They aren't exactly necessities, Sari." Optimus answered.

"Do you just not like getting new things? I mean, look at this apartment. The base on Earth was bigger than this."

"I've had this apartment since I was a Cadet. I didn't pick it out after we returned." Optimus sighed, rubbing his faceplates as Chargeup drew closer. The mech was obviously listening.

"You can easily afford a newer and safer place and a few extra…indulgences." Chargeup commented.

"Yea." Optimus said half-sparkedly.

Sari snorted. "I you don't even know how much you make now, do you Optimus?"

"I didn't feel it was necessary to obtain a different housing arrangement." Optimus defended, moving away to gather a few remaining datapads from where they were hastily thrown in the corner.

"Sir, you can easily check with Command or your treasury." Chargeup told him. "You don't need to limit yourself unnecessarily."

Optimus sighed, "my accounts were deactivated while we were on Earth. I haven't gone to the accounting department to see what they have done with my earnings yet. Something always seems to come up."

"So you've had, like, no money this whole time?" Sari asked, staring wide opticed at him.

"I still have some disposable credit pads that I use. I really have been trying to make time to get to the accounting department." Optimus explained.

"All you had to do was say something." Chargeup gave him a disapproving look. "Your secretarybot would have made time. You should know this by now."

"I can't just cancel important appointments because I…" Optimus started only to be cut off by Sari.

"Yes you can. They made the appointment with _you_ meaning they are the ones interested in keeping it and they _will_ reschedule. It's not your responsibility to keep every single appointment." Sari crossed her arms. "You need to have some CEO lessons."

"CEO?" Chargeup asked.

"Chief Executive Officer." Sari informed him imperiously. "As in the boss of the company or whatever."

"You could always ask Ultra Magnus, sir." Chargeup suggested. "I'm certain he would be willing to tell you what is appropriate for cancellation, personal leave, and other requests in your position."

"I'm sure there are informational datapads somewhere that I can look at." Optimus insisted, taking a last look around his apartment for anything they might have missed.

"Optimus you really need to get it through your head that you don't have to do everything yourself." Sari huffed.

"I don't want to abuse my authority or force others to do tasks I am perfectly capable of doing myself." Optimus informed them succinctly.

"Optimus…I don't think I have ever seen you 'abuse' your authority. Most of the time you don't even do half of what you could with your 'authority.'" Sari told him with a sigh.

"I know how Sentinel worked when he was in my position and I can't…"

"You're nothing like Sentinel Prime, sir." Chargeup cut him off. "Everybot knows that. You don't have to prove it. Actually, we would all prefer you to take care of yourself."

Optimus buried his face in his servos. "I do. I go to First Aid, or now Ratchet, when I am injured or sick, I recharge and fuel regularly."

"But you don't consider your personal needs or comforts." Chargeup responded.

"I'm perfectly comfortable with what I have, and if I need something I do get it." Optimus defended.

"But not unless you absolutely need it. You are too used to not having the resources to get things before then." Sari pointed out.

Optimus sighed again. "I think we have everything. How about we go now."

Together they transformed and headed back to base, trailed the whole way by a crowd of fanbots. News of the attack and Optimus' change in residence had become public knowledge if the shouted questions and comments were anything to go by. Gungrey and Chargeup kept them from crowding Optimus and Sari though.

When they arrived at the quarters assigned to him, Optimus had a hard time not stopping and staring. While in no means lavish, they were more than he had ever had before. Through the door to the hall there was a small entry room, one that had a holographic walls on either side, behind which were his bodyguards rooms. The inner door led to Optimus' rooms, a main sitting area, complete with large vid screen, a desk, shelving, and an energon dispenser. Two other doors led to a rather large berthroom and a massive washrack, complete with armor racks so he could wash in protoform if he wanted.

As they were unpacking the door chime sounded. Gungrey stayed with Optimus and Sari while Chargeup went to answer it.

A thought occurred to Optimus and he turned to Gungrey and asked, "did you just volunteer for this bodyguard position, or were you already trained for it?"

"We both went through the security track at the academy, which covers personal security for dignitaries and officials. We didn't specifically take the 'Assigned Personal Guard' training courses, but we have enough background from our other classes we were accepted into the position." Gungrey answered. "Given our recent work together they felt we were acceptable choices. Of course we are now reviewing the coursework for Assigned Guards."

"Oh, um…thanks." Optimus said kind of embarrassed. "I appreciate it."

Sari smirked, but before she could make any snide comments the inner door opened and in strode Ultra Magnus and Chargeup.

"Is the Council meeting over already?" Optimus asked, suddenly much more tense.

"Yes, it is." Ultra answered, glancing between him and Sari. "The council has voted to allow the AllSpark Tribunal. Unfortunately it wasn't unanimous. Some of the newer council members doubt the power of the AllSpark and its right to do such a thing. They wish to be present throughout the proceedings."

"But that's stupid! It's the AllSpark! They should know better." Sari grumped.

"They should, but the AllSpark has been gone for quite a long time. Some bots have lost hope and faith in its power." Optimus said sadly. "So now we have to prove that the AllSpark is everything the old stories said about it."

"The tribunal is scheduled for next solar cycle. Bolter will be brought in at 0600." Ultra told them.

Optimus just nodded. There was really nothing to say to that. He didn't want to do this, but with the AllSpark involved there was no way to back out.

"Well, while you're here you could have a talk with Optimus." Sari suggested far too brightly.

"Oh?" Ultra's optic ridge went up. "About what?"

"How to properly delegate his time and when it is appropriate to take personal time, or in his case, when it is inappropriate not to, sir." Chargeup answered.

Optimus fidgeted as Ultra looked at him hard for a moment.

"What has he let his work get in the way of this time?" Ultra asked.

"He's practically broke because he hasn't had the time to go to the accounting department and get new bank accounts set up." Sari responded, a certain mischievous glee in her face.

"Bluestreak certainly would have made time for you to go." Ultra said, looking unhappy and a bit confused.

"He doesn't want to cancel appointments and hasn't asked Bluestreak to make time for him to go." Sari informed him bluntly. "He's been trying to find sometime else to go."

"I told you I have enough disposable credit pads it's not a big deal yet." Optimus interjected. "Besides, Bluestreak shouldn't have to do more work to rearrange my schedule just to make a few cycles for me to go…"

"Setting up your accounts and receiving all of your allotted back-pay will take more than just 'a few' cycles, Optimus." Ultra told him. Glancing around he asked, "have you finished unpacking? We can go now if you have."

"Everything but his blankie." Sari snickered and Optimus glared at her. He certainly wasn't about to pull that out of his subspace in front of anybot.

"It's not a sparkling's 'blankie' Sari, it is a functional item." Optimus hissed, wishing she wouldn't embarrass him like this in front of his Magnus.

"Well, it certainly looks like one." Sari continued, apparently immune to the venomous glare he had pinned on her.

"Perhaps it is time you buy a new blanket then." Ultra suggested and Optimus had to resist the urge to bang his head on something.

"Maybe I will." He bit out, wishing they would just stop trying to embarrass him already.

"Except you don't know where to buy one." Sari reminded him.

"And you don't have the spare credits yet." Gungrey added.

"Okay, okay, I get it. Are you done?" Optimus asked, starting to get angry.

Ultra placed a servo on Optimus' shoulder. "With your current salary you will be able to buy new things. That's at they're trying to tell you Optimus. That you don't have to keep using something until it wears out completely."

Optimus sighed. "I just wish they wouldn't embarrass me to do it."

"But that seems to get through to you." Sari said far too innocently for him to really believe.

"Come." Ultra almost-commanded. "We will go take care of your credit situation, and then escort you to a store where you can purchase a new blanket." Ultra glanced around again. "And perhaps a few other things."

* * *

**Optimus'girl:** lol glad you thought it was funny. I know, I haven't given Optimus much of a break in this yet. :\ I meant to...but the plot bunnies... Don't worry too much. Optimus is a full grown Elite Guard. No super secrets in this chapter. Just more fun at Optimus' expense. :P Thanks for another wonderful review!

**Sounddrive:** You're speechless and I'm laughing. :P Got a few weird looks when I read it at first (at work) and was snickering.

**Wolf Prime:** Yes, Optimus has been a trouble magnet for a long time. All because he's pretties. You'll find out about the drone...eventually. :P Optimus will probably end up in a bit of a sticky situation later. Maybe a couple times. Who knows. ) Hope you enjoyed the tame chapter.

**scrin99:** He's on a very very very black list indeed. When the AllSpark blacklists you, that's a black list. Pax is the second half of Orion Pax, G1 Optimus' original name when he was just a dockworker and not a Prime. Thanks for the review.

**SavvyEnigma:** Yep, pretty much. :P I love him so I gotta torment him some...or a lot. I don't mean to torture you...much. :P Mysteries are more fun. ) Thanks for another review.

**ironfire13:** Yes, poor Optimus. I'm glad you're enjoying this. :D Being able to picture events off written words is something I love about well written fics, books, ect. Thanks for the review.


	23. Tribunal

And another chappy a long time in coming. Posted a little crack-ficlet-thing last week 'cause I wasn't getting much done on this. But here it is.

* * *

**Chapter 23: Tribunal**

.

0600 came far too quickly for Optimus' liking. They had arrived at the AllSpark Temple nearly forty cycles beforehand and Optimus' stress had been mounting since then. Although he wouldn't admit it out loud, he found the presence of Gungrey and Chargeup on either side of him comforting. Ultra had to greet the council members as they arrived and was in charge of making sure they were in the proper place for observers so he couldn't remain nearby. Sari had immediately taken up her place beside the AllSpark.

The real surprise came when Councilmech Gazer entered, a mech familiar to Optimus trailing behind him. He didn't know what the bots designation was now, but back then he had been called Drillbeat. And he had been one of the sparklings botnapped by Bolter with him.

He could see the surprise and sudden comprehension when his optics met Drillbeat's. The bot glanced around, looking like he wanted to come over but was quickly pulled into the spectator area by a word from Councilmech Gazer.

Not long after several Guardbots entered, flanking the doors, indicating that the accused was about to be brought in. Optimus straightened, trying not to shrink back out of sight between his bodyguards. Even after all these stellar cycles he was afraid of the mech. He knew it was irrational, that he could fight the bot off if he so much as touched him, but it didn't calm him.

Another set of Guardmechs entered, Bolter cuffed between them. The bot glanced around the room, leveling a dark glare at the council before his gaze landed on Optimus. He sneered, a dangerous gleam in his optics as they roved over Optimus' frame. Optimus could barely suppress the shudder that the action evoked. He didn't like it when other bots looked at him like that but he was repulsed because he knew what it meant from this bot.

"Bring forth the accused." Sari stated formally. Before the tribunal began, Ultra Magnus had given her a small talk on the proper language of these proceedings and the appropriate formality. She didn't like it but she understood the importance of it. Optimus knew he'd have to listen to her gripe about it later.

The Guardmechs walked Bolter forward, the bot still staring unpleasantly at Optimus, until he was before the altar of the AllSpark. Optimus glared back as best he could. As soon as Bolter was on his knees before the AllSpark the Guardmechs stepped back a respective distance, one 'conveniently' between Optimus and Bolter. Though he could never prove it was purposeful Optimus was grateful for the respite from the bots stare.

"Mech Bolter, you are here because you are accused of crimes against the sparks of sparklings and adult bots alike. You are here before the AllSpark so that it may assess these charges. In the light of the AllSpark, how do you plead?" Sari continued with her formal speech.

Optimus knew what came next. No matter how Bolter pleaded he would be called forth as a witness and victim of Bolters crimes. The only difference was that, if he pleaded guilty, the AllSpark might have mercy should he be found equally guilty of committing them. If he were to dare to plead innocent before the AllSpark and be found guilty his punishment would be worse. Apparently little was known about the AllSpark's punishment except that bots either ended with something as minor as a 'guilty' brand on them, or as much as being locked in their own processors. No bot had ever dared to enter their processors and find out what they were experiencing, not with it being an AllSpark given punishment.

"Not guilty." Bolter responded, sounding smug.

"Have you anything to say in your defense?" Sari asked and Optimus could hear the hint of anger in her voice.

"I only offered this defective sparked bot a job. Unfortunately he took it the wrong way. I fail to see how that is a crime." The bot was nonchalant to the point of being flippant, obviously used to these sorts of stories working.

"Very well. Will the witness, Optimus Prime, step forward please." Sari commanded, and Optimus watched her optics twitch in a manner that meant she was making a face behind her mask.

Stepping forward to the circular ring painted on the floor for the occasion, Optimus knelt as well, carefully keeping his optics averted from Bolter.

"You have come forth as a witness against this bot. Are you willing to share your account with the AllSpark, allowing it into your memories?" Sari asked as part of the official tribunal wording.

Taking a calming vent Optimus answered, "Yes, I am."

Energy shot from the AllSpark, encompassing his frame. This time, instead of dizziness, there was a sense of detachment and warmth. There were no words, but he had no doubt about what was required when the AllSpark demanded he retrieve those memories. Carefully he went back to the time of his botnapping, reliving the memories with the AllSpark. Optimus was unaware both of how long it took and if he even spoke like he had been told would happen. There were only memories and the sense of the AllSpark surrounding him and within his frame.

When the AllSpark finally withdrew Optimus fought not to slump over. He was tired and felt a bit sick. Gungrey and Chargeup were quickly beside him, helping him to his peds and guiding him to the back wall, out of the direct view of most of the bots in the room. A small cube of energy infused energon was pressed into his servos, which he drank gratefully. He wasn't really paying attention to what was happening until Sari spoke again.

"Are there any other witnesses?"

Optimus tried to look over at Drillbeat but his view was blocked by Gungrey. He wondered if the bot would speak up.

"We have located his 'companion' from when he arrived on Cybertron." Cliffjumper Prime's voice echoed from the doorway, startling Optimus a bit. He hadn't seen or heard the door open.

With his view blocked he didn't see what was happening through most of the room, but he heard the shuffling of several pedes before there was a sudden gasp and a whimper.

"No no nonono." An unfamiliar voice pleaded. "I can't be here. That's the AllSpark! I can't have sparklings!"

"That's not why you are here." Another voice responded.

"The AllSpark wishes you to come forth." Sari spoke to the new bot. "Don't worry. You will not be harmed or pushed into carrying."

Optimus got his first glimpse of the bot as he shakily walked towards the AllSpark. His dirty and dented armor appeared to naturally be a dark red with gold accents, but the marks that stood out were the ones meant to be seen, the ones marking him as a prostibot. The most recently painted were the markings used most commonly by prostibots on Cybertron, but Optimus could see the faint markings of Bolter's prostibots.

The bot seemed almost transfixed, and Optimus knew he likely was to some degree. Nothing quite compared to seeing the AllSpark the first time. He was supported by an Elite Guard mech who was the only thing that kept the bot from walking directly into the AllSpark. The Guardmech then guided the bot to his knees.

"Will you bear witness to the AllSpark regarding the crimes this bot, Bolter, is accused of?" Sari asked.

"I don't see how I can be an appropriate witness." The bot whispered, touching his markings.

"The AllSpark wishes you to bear witness willingly." Sari responded. "Will you do so?"

Optimus noticed that her repeated reinforcement that the AllSpark wanted this was getting to the bot and he almost smiled. Even if she hadn't been the Speaker for very long she certainly understood the power of even the mention of the AllSpark. He only hoped he and the others had gotten through to her on not abusing its power back when she had only the key.

"Yes, yes I will." The other bot said so softly Optimus barely heard it.

AllSpark power surrounded the bot and Optimus listened and watched as the bot, who turned out to have been named Starflare at one point, recalled how he had come into Bolter's service, the long hours spent in a solitary room, cut of from all bots, drugged energon his only companion. Optimus offlined his optics as Starflare, who had then been renamed to Ride Toy, recounted Bolter's initiation into his private service and the extensive modification that had gone into him to make him even more of a toy for Bolter's pleasure.

Starflare sobbed through the rest of his story, the years of service, watching so many young bots being broken or simply giving in rather than fight, all the while being nothing but a worthless toy. When the AllSpark withdrew, Starflare curled up into a ball, still sobbing, holding himself tightly.

Sari waved the Guardmechs that had brought him in forward. "Take him to the medics and see that he receives the best care." She told them.

One of the councilmechs stepped forward, offering Sari and the AllSpark a respectful bow.

"AllSpark, Speaker, if you would allow it, I will see to it that he receives the best care and rehabilitation." He offered.

"What is your interest in this bot?" Sari asked, optics narrowed a bit.

"I am ashamed to admit that I used Bolter's 'services' when I visited Sepika once. I believed him when he said all of his bots wanted to be there." The councilmechs averted his optics. "The least I can do is take care of this bot now."

"You will be permitted to provide for his care." Sari told him and the councilmechs bowed again, following the Guardmechs and Starflare out. Once they were out, Sari spoke again. "Mech Bolter, do you wish to defend yourself, allowing the AllSpark into your memories to refute these charges?"

"No." Bolter answered. "I'm not guilty of this insanity these bots accuse me of. The AllSpark would be wise not to believe these memory-corrupted glitches."

Sari looked about to yell at him, but before she could even get a sound out the AllSpark lit brightly, lashing out at Bolter. The mech uttered a short scream before falling forward onto his faceplates, the color bleeding rapidly from his frame.

Shocked silence descended on the room, every bot a bit afraid and in awe of what had just happened. No bot had ever been deactivated by the AllSpark before. But then again, no bot had made veiled threats against the AllSpark either.

* * *

Optimus sat on the couch in Ultra Magnus' home. His _home_. Optimus had never even seen the outside of his estate before, and now here he was. He had wanted to return to his apartment at Command, but Ratchet was waiting at Ultra's home and Sari insisted. Apparently they all thought that if he went to his apartment he would try to work the next solar cycle. Optimus was actually glad for once that he was scheduled for a few days off. Quite frankly he didn't want to be anywhere the councilmechs could get to him easily.

But he still wasn't sure why they chose to house him at _Ultra Magnus's _estate for those days. Sari had whispered something about Ultra being interested, but he couldn't have heard that right. She probably thought he was interesting and wanted to talk to him more. If he was _interested_ that would suggest that…he liked Optimus? Optimus quickly derailed that thought process.

He turned his attention back to the scene in front of him. Ratchet and Sari were seated at, or in Sari's case on, the large table Ultra had brought into the room which was currently strewn with many different types and grades of energon, minerals, and other additives. Apparently Sari had not wanted to waste a lot of energon at restaurants by sampling them since the samples came in containers too large for her to consider them samples. Optimus was proud of her for that, although he suspected that Metaldrive had more to do with her shift from spoiled sparkling to a more mature young bot than he or his team did. Femmes listened to femmes after all.

Ultra sat in a chair not too far off, watching Ratchet mix energon samples for Sari, a small smile on his faceplates. Optimus watched him for a while, optics taking in the relaxed posture of his frame, and enjoying that smile. It was a rare occurrence to see Ultra smile. He liked it a lot. When Ultra glanced over at him Optimus snapped his optics back to the table, burrowing a bit deeper into his blanket.

He had been wrapped up in it almost since the moment Ratchet had shoved him over to the couch. There Optimus was subjected to the medic's examination before anything else. Nothing had been changed on his frame this time, but the stress both before and during the tribunal meant that Optimus wasn't at his best. It was unanimously agreed that the couch was all Optimus' so he had room to stretch out and recharge if needed. He wasn't that tired yet so he just sat quietly, wrapped in his blankets, enjoying the friendly company.

Shifting a bit he settled down on his side, stretching his pedes out across the couch. Since it was all his he might as well utilize it. He found he was quite appreciative that Ultra had insisted he buy at least one thick blanket that covered him, literally, from headfins to pedes.

Sari made a face as Ratchet mixed some additives into the energon that were disgusting to her as a human, and Optimus chuckled. Comfortably ensconced on the couch, Optimus watched them until he slowly slipped into recharge.

* * *

So, a note, I will probably at some point change the description/genre of this fic to include Ultra/Optimus romance. :) Dunno if I'll get into it much or not, but yep, it's a headed that way.

**gillian of arenal:** Yep, my poor Optimus has had a difficult life. Still having a difficult life. Yes, poor Optimus is poor and embarrassed, and slowly learning his lessons. Maybe. :P He has a secretarybot. Who will probably end up being the one to make sure Optimus actually has everything in the future. Thanks for the review!

**Wolf Prime:** Oh, he won't admit to them it was his only blanket growing up as well. But they know it is. :P Pretty much, Optimus is rich compared to what he was. Well, no attacks in this chappy. Maybe not many more at all, but (hopefully) soon I'll get to the drone. ) Thanks for another review!

**Optimus'girl:** Yes, Optimus has a blanket. Now he has several. But that one will always be special. I have a blankie...or two. XD Sari teases him because she cares and she never really has had a lot of friends she cares about so she doesn't know how to show it other than teasing. Plus it gets his attention. :) Thanks for another review! p.s. I got bit by a few bunnies...but they were a couple Ultra Magnus bunnies...for now...got a few OP ones chasing me too...*flees*

**SavvyEnigma:** *blushes* Thanks. :) Glad you liked it.

**Sounddrive:** E-mails are sometimes an annoying thing. And not always accurate or timely. I have old blankies too. :D They're the best. And yay for apartment. :P Thanks for the review!

**scrin99:** Yep, Sari actually knows a few things. A processor upgrade helped with the knowledge part, but now she's actually using it better. :) Hope you enjoyed the chappie and found your blankie. Thanks for the review! (run from the bunnies!)

**ironfire13:** Sorry no shopping scene. :\ Just kinda didn't fit in very well. May have something like it later. Who knows. Thanks for the review!

**JZ Belexes:** Glad to know it's fairly error free and you think it's well written. I do appreciate characters being 'in character' to an extent, but each character is interpreted and adapted by each author to their fic and this is my Optimus.


	24. Old Haunts

And another long wait. So sorry. Had a project to finish and lots of work. :\

* * *

**Chapter 24: Old Haunts**

.

Over the next several solar cycles Optimus was kept out of Command's information loop and out of the public optic. The first night cycle Optimus recharged fitfully, waking often. He ended up recharging wrapped in blankets and cradled between Ratchet and Ultra. Sari grumped about not being able to join them, but Optimus wasn't laying still and they feared she could be damaged if she tried sleeping either with or on them.

They hadn't recharged with him after, but one or the other was always there when he woke from memory remnants invading his recharge. All of his attempts at apologizing for interrupting their recharge were brushed off. Ratchet reminded him several times that they knew this would likely happen after the tribunal so they were prepared and willing.

During the day cycles Optimus stayed in the manor or its attached outdoor garden areas. The entirety of the Magnus' estate was covered by a shield, so the stars were distorted but Optimus still enjoyed sitting outside and looking at them. It had been some time since he enjoyed the simple pleasure.

The Magnus' gardens were something else. They were designed for the planetary cycles. Cool stone lined the heat cycle garden while heat stone adorned the cool cycle garden. Beautiful rocks, metals, crystals, and artwork were everywhere, alcoves dedicated to some while others were part of a larger central display.

Optimus lay in one such alcove, lined with EM resonating stones. They amplified and resonated with a bots EM field. Relaxing on the heat stones he found himself content beyond the ability to move. He had never experienced any of these alcoves in public gardens, unable to make the necessary time to get on the list and wait for alcove to become available. Now he both wished he had and was grateful he hadn't. This was his opportunity to have unlimited time in a private alcove, making the experience just that much sweeter and more surreal.

* * *

Later that solar cycle, Optimus decided to venture out of the Magnus' Manor. With Gungrey and Chargeup in tow, he headed for his favorite little energon café, one he hadn't actually been able to visit since the attack. He missed being there, the cozy atmosphere and relaxed employees a welcome relief to the uptight bustle of Autobot Command.

Optimus was given entry codes and registered with the system as he left, ensuring he could get back in if Ultra wasn't with him or already home. After that, it didn't take long for them to reach the café, but Optimus was hyper aware of every optic on him. Logically, he knew that most, if not all, of those bots didn't actually know about the tribunal, but he still felt awkward.

Entering the café, Optimus was greeted enthusiastically by one of the regular servers.

"Hello, Optimus! Welcome back. It's been a while. Your usual table?" The red, black, and white mech gave him a thousand gigawatt smile.

"I would appreciate that. Are there chairs for them as well?" Optimus questioned, gesturing towards his guards.

"Of course. I'll go grab an extra chair, you just go ahead and go settle yourself in. Dreamwisp will be there to take your order soon." The mech sauntered off to pull a chair for their table while Optimus lead Gungrey and Chargeup to a somewhat secluded table in the back near the kitchens. Settling himself in where he could see the rest of the room, he let the other two decide on their own seating arrangements. "If you want something, go ahead and get it. It's all on me." Optimus offered as Chargeup settled himself slightly to Optimus' right where he could also scan the room.

"You don't have to do that, sir." Gungrey responded.

"But I want to. I have the credits now. Besides, it's a lot less awkward if I'm not the only one eating." Optimus rebutted. They glanced at each other before nodding at him and he knew that, even though they would order something, they would get the cheapest they could find. He didn't mind so much though. It was nice to be treating somebot again. Optimus found he missed the camaraderie of his team, who would never turn him down if he was paying. Or lack in chatter. Yet again he found himself realizing just how isolating it was to be a proper Elite Guard Prime on Cybertron. He didn't doubt for one nanoklik that it was so much worse for Ultra Magnus. Perhaps next time he would invite Ultra along.

Dreamwisp came over to them then, her purple and blue paint sparkling lightly.

"Hi Optimus. What can I get you?" She murmured more than asked and Optimus found himself fighting a smirk. She was appropriately named for her tendency to always come across as having her processor in some dream world.

As he suspected, Gungrey and Chargeup ordered cheap energon with few additives while Optimus ordered one of his favorites. Dreamwisp just gave them a smile and wandered off. Optimus did finally chuckle at the other two's expressions as they watched her leave.

"She seems a bit…off." Chargeup commented lightly.

"And yet she is an excellent server. She's never gotten one of my orders wrong and notices when you call her over." Optimus told him. "I admit, the first time she took my order I doubted whether or not it would be correct and if I would receive it this decacycle or not."

"Definitely unique." Gungrey added.

They fell into a fairly comfortable silence after that, waiting for their order and watching the other bots in the café. Few actually noticed Optimus and his guards in the corner, and the ones who did didn't draw attention to them, for which Optimus was grateful. They seemed to understand that he was looking for a bit of anonymity here.

Soon enough Dreamwisp returned with their energon, setting them on the table with a placid smile, then leaving them. Optimus took a mouthful of his energon, intent on savoring the flavor, but something stopped him. Tuning his sensors as best he could, he slowly swallowed, frowning at the unusual flavor.

"Sir?" Gungrey asked, concerned.

"This hasn't been mixed right. There's some other additive in it." Optimus responded, waving Dreamwisp over as soon as he caught her optics.

Chargeup took a sip, swallowing it slowly. "I don't recognize it as a common fuel additive."

When Dreamwisp got to their table, Optimus handed her the cube and said, "this was mixed wrong. It has something in it that it shouldn't."

"I'll take it back and get you a new one." Dreamwisp told him, peering into the cube before heading back to the kitchens.

Several cycles later she hadn't returned, and Optimus began to worry.

"I'm going to go check on her." He announced, standing.

"I'll go with you." Gungrey offered, standing as well.

"I'll keep an eye on our energon." Chargeup commented, remaining seated.

Optimus and Gungrey quickly headed through the doors to the kitchen, entering the small hallway where cubes were obviously left for the servers to pick up, but the window where they would be put through was closed. He glanced at Gungrey, not liking this one bit. Carefully they eased through the doors into the kitchen area itself.

To the left of the doors, Dreamwisp was slumped against the wall. Optimus crouched next to her, feeling her plating and shaking her gently. She was still online, but apparently in forced systems stasis.

"There's something really wrong here." Gungrey growled and Optimus merely nodded.

They heard a sound near the back of the kitchen. Optimus moved to go investigate, but Gungrey put a servo on his shoulder, shaking his head mutely. Unhappily, Optimus let him do the investigating instead.

Gungrey slowly moved to the back of the kitchen, optics constantly scanning. Something caught his optics, and he moved into a small storage closet. Abruptly the door swung closed and Optimus jumped up, battle ready.

"Gungrey?" He commed, warily scanning the room.

"Here." Gungrey responded. "I'm stuck in here. Alerting Chargeup now. Watch yourself, sir. I think this is a trap."

"I agree." Optimus acknowledged, battle mask slipping into place.

"Hi Optimus." A soft voice came from behind him, and Optimus whirled. There stood a blue and yellow tankbot femme.

"Who are you?" Optimus asked, slowly reaching for his subspace. "Did you do this?"

"Of course I did, sweetspark. I had to get us alone." She answered, smiling at him like this was somehow a good thing. "And now we are." Obviously she was trying to look demure, but Optimus wasn't buying it.

"Why did you do this?" Optimus asked, trying to edge towards the door.

"You weren't coming to me. My friend was supposed to convince you to come, but you never did." She answered, pouting. "But now you're here and you'll stay with me. We are meant to be."

"What friend?" Optimus asked, optics resetting a bit. Something was wrong, and Optimus began to suspect that the energon wasn't mixed wrong. That she had added something to it.

"Why, the friend I sent to you that night. You were supposed to listen to him and come to me, but instead you moved further away." She told him, approaching slowly.

Optimus' circuits froze as he suddenly understood. "You sent the hacking drone."

"It was my love drone!" She shrieked at him. "If you'd listened to him you would love me! But now I will make you understand just how much you love me."

Optimus pulled his axe from his subspace and tried to sink into a battle stance, but his systems were sluggish and uncoordinated.

"What did you put in my energon?" He managed to ask, optics resetting with a lot more frequency now.

"Just a little something to help you relax." She told him, smiling. "Well, actually a lot, but I know everything about you, so you don't have to worry. It isn't enough to hurt you."

She lunged forward and Optimus tried to dodge, but he merely tripped over his peds. He was pinned, none too gently to the wall, her lip plates pressed to his mask.

"I've waited for you, sweetspark, and now you're mine."

* * *

O_O oh dear oh dear...

**ironfire13:** Nope, no more worrying about that bot. Just a new one :P Thanks for the review!

**Wolf Prime:** Yep, yep. AllSpark did not approve, or even have much sympathy. Yes, Optimus likes his blankies. And Ultra wants him safe and to have time to recover from that. You're getting a bit of Optimus action here. :D Not as much now though. Thanks for the review!

**Optimus'girl:** Yes, a lot of Ultra bunnies chase the Optimus bunnies. My blankies have sheeps on them. Baaaaa. Yes, Ultra is very nice to Optimus. And it really is hard to get away from those bunnies. *sprays self in bunny repellent* Thanks for another review!

**SavvyEnigma:** Glad you liked. Not so morbid an update, but still. :) Thanks for the review!

**scrin99:** Heehee. There might be a bit more Starflare, mostly in passing. I'll see where this ends up, ect. Sari is being scary. ) Glad you're not averse to a bit of mechly romance. Thanks for the review!

**Sounddrive:** So stressed. That was his least favorite thing to do. Sari is trying to be a good Speaker. Thanks for the review!

**MajinBakaHentai: **Very final indeed. Thanks for the review.

**flamingmarsh:** Glad you're liking this so far. :D I suppose we'll both see what I come up with. Thanks for the review.

**bRamble Girl:** I'm glad you like it. ^.^ Rule amending is pretty fun. I had one of those fics that convinced me to give the series another shot, and look where it got me. Ultra-Optimus is indeed fun. There is unfortunately not enough of it. Yet. If you really like it, check out Continuous Courting. -*plug for Zira and Tash* Thanks for the review!

**gillian of arenal: **Nope, Optimus was rather happy to stay inside for a while. I think Optimus and Sari at least will keep an eye on Starflare's progress, but the councilmech certainly has the funds ect to take care of him now. Yes, there are lots of victims. He will be taken care of and if needed, altered/placed so his past is secret. He doesn't need more trauma. Thanks for the review!

**SeekerMoonblade:** I'm glad you're enjoying this. Again, sorry about the long update time. The song is Angels Fall First by Nightwish. Makes me think of Prowl so I put it in. :) Bolter definitely got what he deserved. Thanks for the review!

**Jaacs McHenry:** Thanks! XD


	25. Biggest Fan

**Blegh...this chapter did not want to get written. :\**

* * *

**Chapter 25: Biggest Fan**

.

Optimus was torn. While he wanted her off of him, she hadn't attacked him or made any threats of harm to him. Just creepy threats to his sanity and possibly trying to convince him he loved her. Either way, he couldn't justify outright attacking her or doing serious harm. He needed a non-damaging way out of this. Belatedly, he activated his distress signal. He was seriously off-balance now.

Luckily she decided that kissing his face mask was an enjoyable past time and pressed back in. Close enough he could whip a pair of stasis cuffs from his subspace and snap one side around her wrist before she noticed his movement.

Unfortunately the action caused her to jerk back, startled, and he hadn't let go of the cuffs so he was pulled clumsily away from the wall. He staggered forwards a few steps, gripping the stasis cuffs to keep his balance. Which, given even the weak charge from one side of the stasis cuffs, unbalanced her. She fell into his back and together they crashed to the floor.

Optimus immediately started trying to pull himself out from under her bulk. His axe was trapped partially under him, but he finally managed to get it out, hoping that its boosters could pull him out. That attempt only pulled them both across the floor, scraping Optimus' chest plates painfully. Quickly he stopped that, still stuck fast, and much more grateful he could hear the sounds of somebot trying to get in. Or out.

His relief was short lived as the femme shifted, moving to get up by placing one servo directly in the middle of his back. Optimus felt like he was being crushed. The creaking of his armor sounded abnormally loud and he could feel the pressure squeezing in on his protoform. Briefly he worried that his armor would give way and he would be flattened, likely with his sparkchamber partially crushed.

A loud crash drew his attention up, but before he could fully look to see where the noise had come from, a deep boom resounded through the room. Immediately the pressure was gone from his chassis, and Optimus rolled onto his side. The femme was slumped against the wall below a rather large dent. He didn't get to ponder it long before Gungrey was crouched by his side, stun blaster in servo.

"Sir?" He asked, voice tense with concern. "Can you hear me?"

"Yes." Optimus answered, aware that his optics were flickering and resetting alarmingly. He tried to roll into a sitting position, but stopped, a servo pressed to his chestplates, when the action caused twinges of pain through his protoform.

Gungrey carefully rolled him onto his backplates, supporting his shoulders and drawing him further from the femme.

"Easy sir. You should lie still and wait for the medics." Gungrey told him softly.

"I agree." Optimus murmured back. "Oh…Chargeup!" Optimus abruptly remembered that the Guardbot had also sampled his energon. "The energon was drugged! Chargeup…"

"Is already aware of the situation and is being treated." Gungrey assured him. "Backup is here."

The statement was punctuated by a thunderous blast, the door to the kitchen area flying down the hall. Ultra Magnus strode in, followed by Jazz, Ratchet, First Aid, and several other large Guardmechs. Ratchet and First Aid immediately rushed over to Optimus while the other Guardsmechs went to secure the femme.

Ratchet didn't even have to ask before Optimus offered him a scanning port. He had to admit he was a bit worried about his protoform and spark. A few terse words from Ratchet about ratios and First Aid began mixing a small vial of something white into some energon before offering it to Optimus. He drank it automatically, noticing a slightly carbon-like aftertaste. Almost immediately he felt less like he was stuck in a pond filled entirely with Earth mud and more like he was in water. His tanks on the other servo did not feel much better.

"You'll feel sick and sluggish for the rest of the day, but you'll be fine." First Aid told him.

Optimus nodded and asked, "what about Chargeup?"

"He's being treated now. Because his frame is a little smaller than yours he'll be taken to the infirmary for observation." First Aid answered.

"You're not severely damaged, but I'll be returning with you to the Magnus' Manor to take care of the damage." Ratchet told him and Optimus was relieved.

"Hey, First Aid?" Jazz called, and Optimus looked over to see the ninjabot hovering over Dreamwisp. First Aid quickly made his way over to them and started examining the femme.

"Is she alright?" Optimus asked, worried for the gentle seeming femme. He could now see the dent where she had been struck on the helm.

"She will be." First Aid responded, scanning her. "Minor repairs are needed but there is minimal processor damage."

"Good." Optimus said as Ultra came over and crouched next to him, apparently done with his review of the scene.

"Do you know that femme?" Ultra asked him.

Optimus shook his head and answered, "no, but she claims to have sent the hacking drone."

Surprise crossed the faceplates of Ultra, Ratchet and a few of the other bots. Optimus had to admit that hadn't been one of the considered theories. Decepticons had topped this list, not crazy fanbots. He supposed it was a little short sighted not to consider the group. They had, after all, been known to go to great lengths to get close to the bots they admired.

"I see." Ultra responded, studying the femme, now in stasis cuffs. "Did she identify her goal with this, or the drone."

"Apparently she is…romantically fixated on me." Optimus told him. "I don't recall seeing her around frequently though. Or really ever."

"Don't worry. This will be thoroughly investigated." One of the Guard bots informed him.

Ultra, Ratchet, and Gungrey carefully helped Optimus to his peds. Soreness accompanied every movement from the stressed and compressed components in his chassis.

"We'll get you back now." Ratchet told him, supporting him on one side, Gungrey on the other.

"Cliffjumper Prime will investigate this scene and then take your official statement." The Guard bot piped up again, saluting as they left.

Ultra lead the way back to the Manor where Optimus was escorted to his room, settling down on the berth before Ratchet tersely instructed him to remove his chassis armor. Optimus flushed a bit and did as he was told after Ultra and Gungrey solicitously left the room.

Immediately he could spot quite a few crimped and stripped wires, flinching a bit as Ratchet moved some of the wires to reach deeper and apply a nanite infused repair salve to damaged components beneath. Numbness spread over the wires and components that Ratchet coated, easing the discomfort. Ratchet worked over his chest before having him sit up to access his back. Optimus did so carefully, aware that he wasn't fixed, just numb.

As Ratchet worked Optimus considered what had happened, trying not to feel too terrible about his bad luck.

"What's got your processor goin' this time?" Ratchet asked suddenly and Optimus jumped a bit.

"It's just…well…" Optimus sighed. "I've got to be the worst Second-in-Command ever."

"No you're not." Ratchet responded, coming around to look Optimus in the optics. "Who said that?"

"No one said it, I…I just know I'm…more trouble than it's worth." Optimus muttered. "I've hardly been able to be on-duty since being promoted. I've either been in the infirmary or on restricted duty…"

"Stop that." Ratchet snapped, working to wrap Optimus' chassis in a protective mineral infused medical banding. "You're a good commander and we're exercising our right to take care of you."

"I just feel like I'm weighing everybot down with all of this trouble." Optimus sighed.

"You are not." Ultra's voice came from the doorway as the bot stepped in. Optimus squeaked and tried to cover his still-somewhat-exposed chassis, only to have Ratchet knock his arms away. "Ratchet is correct. It is important to us to take care of you."

"But I should be doing a lot more." Optimus insisted. "I'm not accomplishing my share of duties, I'm not contributing. Just putting more work and strain on others."

"That's what being an organization is about, Optimus. Being there to help and cover others." Ultra responded, walking to the berth side, gently setting a servo on Optimus' shoulder.

Optimus hunched a bit, pressing a servo over his churning tanks, "I just feel…I shouldn't be sitting around and then I keep…"

Ultra pressed a finger to his lip plates, silencing him, while Ratchet pressed him back into the berth. Optimus was fairly certain he might purge at some point this solar cycle.

"You'll make yourself sicker if you keep this up." Ratchet grumped.

Optimus processed quietly for several moments. Ratchet and Ultra were apparently not about to budge on this and Optimus considered their reasons.

"I suppose that…perhaps I am too used to not being able to afford to miss very much work." Optimus finally admitted slowly. "As a young bot I was expected to work my share in my creators shop and couldn't be unavailable very long."

"Unfortunately that is the case in a lot of lower class families." Ultra said. "But you are no longer in that situation, Optimus"

"And you return to work _only_ when I clear you." Ratchet added.

"There is nothing planned that cannot wait a few solar cycles." Ultra reassured him.

"But we can still discuss those things so that I am kept up-to-date." Optimus proposed.

"I do not think it would be in your best interest to discuss it at this time." Ultra responded.

"What is it? The femme who attacked me? I am fine discussing that." Optimus told him.

Ultra shook his head. "Not quite. Do not worry about it."

"But what is it? Is something wrong?" Optimus fretted, running situations through his processor. "Are the Decepticons planning an attack?"

"No, Optimus. It is merely a gathering of some of the fleet." Ultra told him. "There is no impending Decepticon attack."

"But then where are the ships headed?" Optimus queried, running through a starmap and occupied planets.

"You might as well tell him." Ratchet sighed. "He's not going to let this go or rest until he has some answers."

"Very well." Ultra conceded, and Optimus focused his attention on the bot. "Several Elite Guard ships are assembling, along with the Medical Corps, on a mission to Sepika. To remove Bolter's influence and provide aid."

Optimus' systems froze in a combination of terror and happiness, worry and relief, and this time he was unable to stop himself from purging.

* * *

**LucasVN:** The fan bot no one wants. :P Thanks for the review.

**Sounddrive:** :D Rescuez! Sorry it took so long and thanks for the review!

**Optimus'girl:** She's that crazy stalker fanbot. :P No sanity, just imagination and fantasy. Unfortunately, I have yet to name the crazy fanbot, but Optimus is safes. Yay! And I haven't gotten the time to watch it yet. Stoopid work. :( I am running from the bunnies. Believe me, I am running. Thanks for the review!

**Wolf Prime: **She is the evilest of fans. Actually, the least sane of fans. Not much femmly torture though. :\ Optimus is not going to let a crazy fanbot keep him down long. Too many crazies/decepticons. Thanks for the review!

**SeekerMoonblade:** Nope, he doesn't get a lot of breaks. :P Thanks for the review!

**flamingmarsh:** The unluckiest. Thanks for the review.

**SavvyEnigma:** Heehee. Yup. It's always the crazy ones. ) Thanks for the review!

**Mazamba:** Indeeds. :D

**Laura:** Thanks. I'm glad you like it so far. I don't have a lot of specific plans for the AllSpark pertaining to Decepticons, but who knows what will come up. :) Thanks for the review!

**scrin99:** O_O you noticed that? :P Thin air is the best place to find random ideas. Thanks for the review!

**JZ Belexes:** Indeeds. Gotta have some nuts mixed in with the evil.

**ironfire13:** 1. yep 4. pretty much true too 6. welcome back, and the numbers made me smile. :P Thanks for the review.

**CrazyNutSquirrel:** Tada! :) He is escaped...or rescued.

**Patcher:** I'm glad you are liking this. :) And the somewhat roundabout pairing so far. Sari sees it. Optimus doesn't. Much. Yet. :P Yep, she's a stalker fanbot who thinks they're meant to be together. Blurr may make more appearances. Haven't decided yet, but he is alive. Needs a lot of work on his frame. And it doesn't seem you misread anything. :D Thanks for the review.


	26. Finding Darkness

**Chapter 26: Finding Darkness **

.

Slowly Optimus and several other bots, including his bodyguards, moved through the streets of Sepika. Optimus was attempting to retrace the path taken by the policebot to get back to wherever he had been held as a sparkling. It wasn't easy, and the path was winding, but he was hoping that he could and would lead them back even though he did not want to see that place. If there were any sparklings there now he owed it to them.

Finally his path ended at the wall to a warehouse.

"I'm sorry." Optimus offered the bots following him. "This hasn't worked well." He felt disappointed in himself for not being able to lead them there even though, logically, he knew that it was not really his fault. The memory files were incomplete and degraded by fever and drugs.

Several of the bots following him spread out and started examining the surroundings. Optimus separated himself just a bit, wrapping his arms around himself and staring out into the bit of city he could see. They were in Sepika's capital city, Bereton. He had never really wanted to be back on Sepika, much less in this city. From what he could see, things hadn't improved at all. Actually, some of what he had seen as they drove through the city looked a lot worse. Sepika didn't actually have a lot in the way of industry or a specialty. Nothing they could offer was unique or of great quality so life here wasn't good. In fact, the only reason the moon wasn't abandoned _was_ Bolter and his 'services.'

Optimus shuddered at the thought. Even though he had gone about it in a horrible way he was, essentially, the only one who had kept the moon from being an impoverished slum. The thought sickened him.

An abrupt motion drew his attention and he saw a Guardbot frantically motioning for everyone to join him over by the wall where Optimus had stopped. Quickly Optimus moved to join them over there and saw where the wall had cracked open to begin forming a doorway. It seemed that he wasn't as wrong as he had thought.

Quickly the Guardbots got into formation, pushing Optimus to the back, before shoving the wall open and quietly storming into the building. They entered into a dimly lit hallway with several doors along it. Each was opened and the rooms beyond scoured. Optimus shut off his olifactory sensors after the first room. He remembered all too well that scent – heatsync and partially processed energon, the lingering scent of heated circuits thankfully long gone though.

It seemed they would find nothing but the remnants of bots long gone from the building, until they reached the last room, the one closest to the door at the other end of the hall. Throwing open the door they found a single sparkling curled up in the corner of the room. When they approached the sparkling weakly lifted her head and stared at them with dull optics. One of the Guardbots approached her, but she only whimpered and curled in on herself tighter. All of the Guardbots turned to look at Optimus and he knew that they wanted him to try. Even though he knew what it was like in her position he really didn't know how to approach her.

But he moved slowly towards her, intent on trying anyway. He stopped an arms length from her and crouched down.

"Hey sweetie. We're not going to hurt you." He spoke low and soothing. "We're the Elite Guard, see?" He pointed to his Elite Guard wings and saw her little optics peek out from under her arms. "Actually, we came to take you home. You want us to take you home don't you?" She made a tiny nod. "I thought you would. Can you tell me your name little one? What do your creators call you?"

"Glider." She whispered, shifting a bit, and Optimus spotted the tiny winglets folded tight against her backplates. There were going to be some seriously upset flyers out there. Fight models were still quite rare in neutral and Autobot territories since the war and he could see no affiliation symbols on her.

"Well Glider, what do you say I get you to a medic and contact your creators? Does that sound okay?" Optimus asked, still softly, hoping that once they got her medical attention she could give them her creators' comm. frequencies. Or that once it became apparent what they were doing that they would come forward. Unless they were being held somewhere by these bots.

Glider reached a shaking servo out towards Optimus and he took it gently, drawing her into his arms, tucking her against his chest carefully. He had never actually handled a flight model before. Just as Optimus stood he heard a shout and the sound of running peds. Turning he saw a few Guardbots take off down the hall, obviously in pursuit of somebot.

"What…" Glider asked hesitantly and Optimus stroked her helm softly.

"It's okay. You're with me and nobot will get to you." Optimus nodded to the other bots and they cautiously exited the room and out the door they had not yet been through. On the other side was what looked like a storefront, complete with shelves of paint and accessories. Above the door they had just come through was a sign that said 'Shop Area; Employees Only.'

Transforming slowly Optimus settled the sparkling in his seat and, surrounded by the other Guardbots, headed for where the medical ship was docked. It didn't take long to get there and Optimus immediately took Glider into the sparkling care designated area, thankful they had organized the ship for this before leaving Cybertron. The medics knew what to expect and waited anxiously for Optimus to transform and hand over the sparkling.

Except she wouldn't let go of him. She gripped his fingers and begged him not to leave her. Optimus couldn't find it in his spark to remove his fingers from his servo after that so he looked at the medics, hoping to convey through his optics what he felt. He needn't have bothered with the pleading look because the medics looked back at him with almost the same expressions. Likely they didn't want a sick and distressed sparkling if they could help it.

Optimus set her on a berth and settled into a chair that a medic pulled over near it. He stayed as much out of their way as possible without moving out of view of Glider.

"My creators?" She asked, optics locked on him.

"Can you beam me their frequency?" Optimus asked softly.

"I…" Her face scrunched up and then fell. "Can't…it won't…" She started to cry and Optimus offered her what comfort he could from his position.

"You will be able to soon." Optimus reassured her. "They're on Sepika, right?"

She nodded between sobs.

"Then we can find them one way or another." Optimus said gently. "In fact I can send somebot out right now. What model are they?"

"Jets." She answered. "Both jets. Big jets. And green and silver."

"We'll find them." Optimus activated his comm.. "Wildlift, would you see if you can locate two jet bots? Green and silver."

"Sure thing sir." Wildlift answered immediately. "We've found their sparkling?"

"Correct. She is onboard the medical ship now. Her designation is Glider."

"On my way, sir." Wildlift said deactivating the comm..

"Wildlift will look for your creators." Optimus told Glider. "If you can send me their frequency before then I will call them too. So can you."

"She will once we can reactivate her comm. system." One of the medics corrected, scanning a datapad connected to Glider. "Looks like they offlined it with some sort of code patch." The medic looked up at him then. "I'm not familiar with jet coding. Her creators may have to help me with this."

"I understand." Optimus said. Glider twitched and Optimus turned to her, concerned. "Are you alright, Glider?"

"That tickled." She said. "And my tanks feel gurgly."

"We're trying to clear your systems." A different medic spoke up. "You may purge at some point, but it will be okay, I promise."

It was sometime later that she did purge, afterwards shivering, slightly fevered. Optimus helped wrap her in a blanket, never letting go of her tiny servo. They put her on an energon drip rather than trying to feed her energon. She didn't need to purge more. Glider had nearly fallen into recharge when the door opened.

"Glider!" Two shouts echoed across the room and Optimus turned to see two matching painted jetbots rushing in. Optimus tried to move back but Glider still wouldn't release his servo. Her creators hugged and cuddled her as best they could with her still on the berth.

"They rescued me mama." Glider said softly.

One of the jetbots turned to Optimus. "Thank you. I admit, we were a bit skeptical at first, but when your Wildlift used her nickname I knew you were not lying."

"Glider is a nickname?" Optimus asked, interested.

"Her official designation is Glidewing." The other jetbot answered. "Somewhere along the line we started calling her Glider. The nickname hasn't gone outside the family before now."

Optimus nodded but before he could say anything else a medic spoke up.

"Now that you're here I could use your help." He addressed both of them. "They installed a code patch to offline her comm. system and I am not familiar enough with jet coding to remove it."

"Of course." One of the jetbots answered, moving around to look at the datapad the medic connected again while the other continued to cuddle Glider.

Glider released Optimus to cling to her creator and Optimus backed off. When they started to ask Glider about what happened Optimus left. He didn't need to be there for that.

Optimus headed for the Steelhaven then, dodging around glazed and blank opticed bots who were being escorted on board by Elite Guard members. He grit his denta. Living in the city filled with those bots had been hard and seeing them now was even more painful. Suddenly he was unable to stand the crush of bots around him. He wanted to escape, to go somewhere that others weren't. Where he wouldn't be surrounded by pain and suffering.

Transforming he drove to get away. He had no destination processed, he just drove and drove. Aimlessly he wandered until finally, nearly a megacycle later he stopped at the edge of the oil springs. Optimus didn't transform, instead he stayed there like that, watching the steam rise off the warm liquid. It was really unfortunate they hadn't used these for tourism to keep the economy alive. Maybe then so many would have been spared.

"Sir?" Chargeup asked softly, putting a servo on his roof. Optimus twitched a bit, slightly startled. He hadn't noticed the bot following him, but he really shouldn't have been so surprised. "It's getting late. You should return soon."

"Alright." Optimus agreed softly, not transforming but slowly turning back towards the city.

"We've got a shuttle coming, sir." Chargeup informed him, not removing his servo from Optimus' roof. "It'll be quicker that way."

Optimus hummed in agreement and stilled. He wouldn't mind the trip. It would, at least, be away from the street.

A short while later the shuttle arrived and Optimus boarded it silently, settling in the back quietly for the trip. Soon they reached the Steelhaven and Optimus exited, not bothering to transform, before driving directly to his quarters. He had no intentions of setting ped on Sepika again if he could help it. Once inside he transformed long enough to grab several blankets before returning to his vehicle mode, burrowing down into them to make a small nest and dropping into recharge.

* * *

**ironfire13:** Why, thank you. :D Sorry this took so long. _

**Wolf Prime:** lol you have the Dcons and the torture fun. Too bad Optimus had to go with them. :/ No relaxation here. He will be beat up but he is a good leader-bot! Sorry the chappy took so long. I shall have to post the little ficlet I wrote int he meantime.

**CrazyNutSquirrel:** LOL visit from Wreck-Gar. XD Have some cheer-up garbage!

**Optimus'girl:** Lola the insane femmebot. :P She is locked up indeeds. Optimus does worry others a lot. Such a wonderfully shiny target. Sorry this update took so long. :(

**flamingmarsh:** Glad you liked it. Optimus can't help but be a bit depressed. He's always in the crosshairs for somebot. Sorry about the long wait.

**Sounddrive:** Poor Optimus indeed. Things just like to be rough on him.

**Patcher:** Fanbots are scaaaary and dangerous. :P Sorry for the long wait.

**SavvyEnigma:** Nope, Optimus isn't out of it yet. Maybe not so much danger as just a crappy mission. :( *stares back just as innocently* Sorry for the wait. I shall have to post the fluffy goodness I wrote in the meantime.

**scrin99:** There will be a loooooot of counseling and problematic processor-washed bots. Perhaps they will come for a visit so he can be pestered by a familiar danger. )

**bRamble Girl:** Well, then you are less a crazy fan than crazy femmebot (called Lola by Optimus'girl). ) Well, he's trying to stay out of the medbay. Trying being the keyword. Not succeeding. Sorry for the wait.


End file.
